Crimson Rising
by Lilac Moon
Summary: MMPR/Zeo/NS/DT. It's 2007 and Thrax has just been defeated. But former rangers will be brought back together when an enemy from the past returns and his evil empire threatens to destroy all they love. And a prophecy that the crimson Phoenix will rise to lead them reveals Hunter's true origin and destiny. Can he accept the weight of destiny on his shoulders? H/T,C/K,T/K,B/K & more
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

**AN:** Welcome to my new story. It's been roughly six plus years since I've written a power ranger story, but I recently watched old Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder episodes and ideas started to form again. I got this idea and so here I am. This story will mainly focus on the Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, MMPR/Zeo teams. I quit watching after Dino Thunder, with the exception of any team up episodes, though the Operation Overdrive team up with Adam returning was the last.

I've decided because of this that SPD teams-on will not be included and that the main story will take place in 2007, after the Operation Overdrive team up, "Once a Ranger".

By the title, you have probably guessed that Hunter will play a big role in the story and this will be a Hunter/Tori pairing. Don't worry though, there is no Blake bashing, just some brotherly rivalry. Other main pairings will include Connor/Kira, eventually Billy/Kat and Tommy/Kim as well. Minor pairings will include Rocky/Aisha and Dustin/Marah.

All other pairings are to be decided and requests will be considered for any pairings not mentioned above. The ones I have mentioned are set in stone. Please don't request that I change this to Blake/Tori or Kira/Trent. It will not happen.

**AN 2:** Note, some of the relationships will already be established since many years have passed since these teams were active. An age list is included below. Flashbacks and back stories will be included and explained throughout the story when necessary as well.

**AN 3:** I am taking some creative liberties with the Dino Thunder team. For the purpose of this story, the special abilities given to them by the Dino gems bonded with the rangers even after the power was lost. Connor's super speed is permanent and same goes with the other Dino rangers, including Tommy.

As for Ninja Storm, in the show they all have control over their elements and that remains in this story. Hunter and Blake are able to wield thunder in the same way that the Wind ninjas use their element. For Cam, some of the Samurai Amulet's energy fused with him genetically for the purpose of this story as well.

I think that's all the author's notes, as the rest will be explained in the story. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Ages:

Hunter: 24

Blake and Cam: 22

Tori/Dustin/Shane: 21

Connor/Kira/Ethan/Trent: 20

Jason/Billy/Trini/Zack/Kimberly/Tommy: 29

Kat/Tanya/Adam/Rocky/Aisha: 28

Crimson Rising

Prologue

_**Space, just outside Earth's atmosphere, 1995**_

"Shields are down to nine percent!" the black ranger cried, as sparks inside the Ninja Megazord spewed. The red ranger gripped the control yokes hard, as he tried to break them free of Ivan Ooze's death grip. His purple eyes, seeping with a crazed, psychotic look, glared into the cockpit. Despite their friendly kiddy image they presented to the public, mostly to ease the seriousness of what they did to put people at ease, being a ranger wasn't the fun and games it appeared to be. Anyone that would follow in their footsteps would find that out. On the surface, they were good students, model citizens, and well behaved teenagers. Image is everything, after all. But beneath all that, they were real people with faults, dreams, desires, strengths, weaknesses, and so much more that made up the ranger that everyone saw.

"You foolish children…do you really think Zordon gives a damn about you? Feh, you're just more expendable soldiers that he has chosen to fight his war. Do you really think you're the first? Fools, you're members in a long line of young people that gave everything to Zordon only so he could reap all the glory of your victories! He plucked you from obscurity and has given you power! But he'll take it away just as quickly and send you back to live _normal_ lives while he picks a younger crop! It is the way of the Council of Meledon! But you can't be normal! Not after the power touches you! Mark my words, you'll regret the day you crossed paths with him! Once this _power_ touches you…it will haunt you for the rest of your days!" Ooze ranted maniacally.

"Stuff it slime head, you don't know what the hell you're talking about," the yellow ranger spat angrily, as the Megazord and Ooze tumbled end over end in a power struggle.

"You are wrong little bear…you'll see. Or maybe you won't since I'm going to kill you all!" he screamed, as his fist slammed down on the side of the crane zord, nearly caving in half the cockpit. The blue ranger was thrown hard into the red ranger and the pink ranger hit the view window. The white ranger grabbed her, while red helped blue up from the cockpit floor. They were going to be killed if they didn't figure out something fast, though the public would never know just how close the rangers came to death each and every time they battled an evil alien or being. To them, they were just colored heroes, possibly not even human. Beneath the surface, they were flesh and blood human teenagers, irrational, hormonal, and not even old enough to vote. Yet the fate of the world was in their hands. To them, Zordon was like a father. To outsiders, if they knew, they might question the old sage's motives for choosing kids to fight these battles. But no one would ever know who was beneath these multicolored masks.

"Dammit…power is in the red. Billy, any ideas?" Tommy called. No one could see, but Billy gritted his teeth beneath his blue helmet. He never said much, but he always had to come up with a plan to save their asses.

"If we don't get him off us, we're screwed. But if we can, we might have a shot," Billy spat, as he pulled up the schematics on the screen.

"What are you thinking?" Rocky asked.

"The comet. We're dead otherwise. It's our only chance," Billy said gravely.

"There's no breaking his grip. We're out of lasers…the power sword is gone…" Adam replied.

"Leave it to a woman," Aisha grumbled, as she began flipping switches and hit an emergency button on the wall. The guys all actually felt themselves cringe, as the Megazord kneed Ivan in the balls, effectively breaking his grip.

"Engaging thruster power," Billy called, as he got them out of there.

"Oh no…" Ooze uttered, as he stared at the comet heading straight for him. There was an explosion that pushed them along back to earth. No one doubted that Ivan was completed destroyed and along with him, the comet. Life on Earth would return to normal.

* * *

Dulcea, Master Warrior of Phaedos and former member of the disbanded Council of Meledon stood on the top platform of her Temple. She smiled, as she felt her half-brother's life force return to normal. His time warp had been repaired and his life saved by his young charges.

"You chose well with those six, my brother," she whispered, wishing that they weren't both trapped by a curse inflicted upon them by evil. She remembered where everything had gone so horribly wrong…

* * *

_**Six thousand years ago**_

_The Great Council of Meledon, once led by her half-brother Zordon, was all but gone. The siblings were almost all that was left. Zedd, before he was corrupted by Master Vile, had been the a member. But Zedd had always been jealous of his older brother, Zander, who was a powerful warrior, the Ninjetti spirit of the legendary Phoenix. The Firebird spirit, unlike other Ninjetti animal spirits, only chose one bloodline to bestow its amazing power of thunder and fire and only chose one person per generation in the bloodline. Zander had been the one in his family to receive the gifts, making him a powerful crimson ranger. Zordon, the spirit of the Falcon and white ranger, fought alongside Zander and they were the best of friends. Had it not been for Zander, they would not have been successful in trapping Ivan Ooze in his hyper lock chamber. Zedd's jealousy of his brother only grew after their defeat of Ooze. _

_Zedd's jealousy did not go unnoticed by the evil Master Vile and he planted knowledge of the zeo crystal in young Zedd's mind. Master Vile manipulated Zedd into believing that if he obtained the crystal, it would help him rival, if not exceed his brother's powers of the Phoenix. Zedd sought the crystal and reached it, but his body was ignited in white flames when his hand touched the power, for the zeo crystal couldn't be touched by one with any evil in his or her heart. Knowing this, Vile had used Zedd to obtain it, since the young man wasn't completely evil. Zedd survived the encounter, but a scarred monster now, his flesh completely burnt away, leaving only a muscled, gruesome body behind. The protectors of the zeo crystal, having called on Zander to help, stopped Master Vile from capturing the crystal and sealed it away. This began Vile's intense hatred of the Morphing Master and he waited in the shadows for his chance at revenge._

_And he would have his chance, as he watched Zander and Dulcea fall deeply in love and marry. It was not long until their first child was born. A boy with the Ninjetti spirit of the Phoenix, the power over thunder and fire, the ability to heal from most wounds, and strength and speed like no other, powers he would one day wield like this father. _

_But Master Vile was hard at work, seeking to create a curse to seal Zander away and steal the powerful child to mold as his evil soldier. As a result, Zander whisked his family away from Eltar to Dulcea's native planet of Phaedos where she was crowned princess. They lived there peacefully for many months, but Vile was far from finished with them…_

* * *

_Dulcea stood in her chambers by the view window, gently rocking the tiny, fussing bundle in her arms. She gazed down at her beautiful baby boy and kissed his forehead. The tiny prince of Phaedos soon quieted and she put him down in the crib, watching him sleep. It wasn't long before she felt a pair of strong arms slide around her waist and warm lips kiss her neck. She turned in his arms, looking up at his handsome face, framed by shaggy, sandy blonde locks and a smile that made her melt. _

"_You were gone so long. Is there danger?" Duclea asked her husband. _

"_We've driven Vile back to M51. For the time being, the danger has passed," Zander replied. She sighed. _

"_He won't stop…you know he won't stop until he has our son," Dulcea fretted. _

"_Hunter is fine. I promised you that I would not let that monster touch him and I won't, no matter what I must do," Zander promised, as he took her in his arms. She hugged him tightly and rested her head on his chest. _

"_Come on, he's fine. Let's go to bed," he suggested, giving her that wolfish grin that she loved. She smiled back, as he drew her lips into a kiss, before sweeping her into his arms and carrying her toward the bed. But a loud explosion interrupted their bliss and their baby cried out sharply, having been awoken and scared by the disturbance. Dulcea ran to the crib and swept him up, cradling him against her chest. _

"_Stay here," Zander said, as he rushed out. Dulcea gasped from the window, as she witnessed explosions peppering her beautiful planet. She turned, as she heard footsteps and she stepped back in fear, as Zedd's monstrous form strode into her chambers. _

"_Zedd…what are you doing?" she questioned. _

"_Give me the child and I won't have to hurt you," Zedd ordered. _

"_Why are you doing this? Why have you turned against us?" Dulcea demanded to know. _

"_My arrogant brother is undeserving of such power! He wastes his abilities by letting the people of various planets rule themselves and destroy each other with war! He should rule them! It would be for their own good and I will succeed where my brother has failed! Look at your planet, my dear sister-in-law! Your husband is responsible for its destruction!" Zedd roared. Tears fell down her cheeks, as she witnessed her people dying by the thousands before her very eyes. Hunter wailed in her arms, obviously picking up on his mother's fear. _

"_Allow me to raise my nephew to greatness and he will become the most powerful being in existence!" Zedd ranted. _

"_You mean let Vile corrupt my son and use him to do his evil bidding! No, you will not lay a hand on him!" Dulcea yelled, as she made a motion with her hand, taking control of her element of wind and throwing him back, the silvery strands of her power holding him back. He growled, but regained his footing, his anger bringing forth his elemental power of earth. The ground shook beneath her and she struggled to keep her footing against the assault of his green energy. But Zedd's attack was interrupted, as flames suddenly surrounded him and crimson thunder struck him down. Zander stood tall in the doorway, glaring daggers at his younger, corrupted brother. _

"_You will not lay a finger on my family, monster," Zander spat. But Zedd only chuckled evilly, as the roof was ripped away. Violent winds and debris tossed them about and Zander protected his family from the danger, as Master Vile descended before them. _

"_Your family belongs to me now," Vile said, as his spell hit Duclea. Zander caught his wife, as she collapsed in his arms and her skin began to slowly shrivel. _

"_What have you done?" Zander demanded to know. _

"_She's dying now and there's only one way you can stop it," Vile cackled. Zander frowned, as he held his wife and child in his arms, knowing it would be the last if he wanted to save them. _

"_You win monster…she will have my essence and I will be gone," Zander stated gravely. _

"_No…" Dulcea cried weakly. _

"_I must do this my love, for you and for Hunter. You both will always be protected by the Phoenix. And Hunter will one day realize his destiny and destroy the evil that plagues the universe," he whispered, as he kissed her for a final time. He closed his eyes and his body lit up with a bright light, before changing to a roaring inferno. His humanoid form was gone and replaced by the giant firebird spirit. The rapid aging on Dulcea was immediately reversed and the giant flaming bird disappeared, leaving his essence to protect his family. Vile chuckled evilly, as he approached the young princess, who clutched her crying child to her breast, even as her own tears flooded from her blue eyes. _

"_He is mine now…" Vile said, as he reached for the baby. As he touched the blanket that enclosed the tiny prince, he cried out in pain, pulling his hand away in alarm. Dulcea was equally surprised, until she looked down at Hunter and saw the Phoenix spirit in his eyes. She gasped, as her husband's ghostly form appeared beside her. _

"_You're wrong Vile. I've made sure you can never touch him or curse him. Your spell has ensured that Dulcea can never leave this tower, but our son is not marred by the same curse. He will rise to finish what I started one day," Zander promised. _

"_Then we will see that he is destroyed before he can realize his true power! If I am not the one to do it, then another of my kind will. The Phoenix will never rise again when we are finished!" Vile spat angrily, as he and Zedd fled the planet. Dulcea sobbed, as she stared at her beloved. His ghostly fingers caressed her beautiful face. _

"_Take heart my love, I'll always be with you and Hunter," he told her. _

"_What will I do? How can I protect Hunter from them?" she asked. _

"_It is true that as long as he remains here with you, he will not age. However, when the times comes, you will send him where he is needed and he will age at a normal pace. You and Zordon will both know when that time is. As long as he remains here, evil cannot touch him. The Phoenix protects this Temple and will incinerate any evil being that sets foot upon it," Zander promised. _

"_I will cherish the time I have with him, even if I will someday have to watch him grow from afar," Dulcea asked. Her husband smiled. _

"_When his powers and destiny are finally revealed to him, he will return here to you. Trust in our love and everything will be as it should be. Goodbye my love," he told her, as he gently faded away. Dulcea rocked her baby, as she grieved for her lost love…_

_Dulcea found the strength to go on for their son and he brought her endless joy. For thousands of years, she cared for her infant son and thousands of years passed, though they remained the same within the Temple's time warp. But even thousands of years did not prepare her for the day she would send her baby away._

* * *

_**Earth year, 1986**_

"_Zordon, are you sure? There is no danger yet," Dulcea said, as she communicated with her half-brother through her viewing pond. He had been trapped in a time warp himself all these years, on the young planet known as Earth of all places._

"_I am certain, Dulcea. The ancient scrolls that I have obtained from the Wind and Thunder Ninja Academies do not lie. The Earth will soon enter an unprecedented assault of evils unlike anything experienced by any world before. Hunter must grow and begin the path toward his destiny," Zordon told his sister. Dulcea nodded sadly and kissed her tiny son's forehead. _

"_This is not goodbye my sweet one. I will always be watching over you and someday, you will stand here before me again as a man. I love you so much, my little one. May the spirit of the Phoenix protect you and watch over you," Dulcea said, as she looked down at her brother._

"_I'm ready," she sniffed. Zordon nodded._

"_He will be well cared for. He will be adopted by a loving couple, a pair of powerful Ninjas that will teach him in the ways of the Thunder Ninja. One day, he will wield the crimson powers and when the time is right, he will remember his true parentage and know his destiny,"_ _Zordon promised. She nodded._

* * *

_**Nine years later…1995**_

Ivan Ooze was gone now, and while she sensed no danger, she knew his Empire wouldn't allow the rangers to get away with defeating him. Her brother had been saved and the Earth was at relative peace again, though she knew Rita and Zedd would continue their futile attempts to destroy the rangers. Zordon had often assured her that this was only the beginning of the evil the Earth would see. She often looked in on her beautiful son and watched with pride, as he trained in the ways of the Thunder Ninja. His talent was obvious and it seemed that the one known as Sensei Omino recognized it too.

* * *

_**2003…8 years later…**_

"_Last one in the water is a little girl!" Hunter called, as Tori shot him a playful glare, before chasing him into the water. _

Dulcea smiled, as she watched her son let loose a little. His life on Earth had not been easy and she had often worried about his anger. But she saw so much of her beloved Zander in him that she knew he would be fine. He was the crimson ranger now and had all but mastered the element of thunder, but would not learn of his abilities with fire yet. He wouldn't know the extent of his powers for a few years yet. Were he to come into them now, Lothor wouldn't stand a chance, but she knew it wasn't time. Lothor was small in comparison to what he would someday face if Zordon's readings of the lost scrolls were correct.

"That's one hell of a nephew I have. Zander would be proud," Zedd told her, as he appeared. Zordon's wave had cleansed his body five years ago and he had renounced his evil ways, realizing that his jealousy had been destructive and foolish. To atone for his sins, he had dedicated himself watching over his nephew on Earth when needed, without his knowledge of course and when the time came, Zedd would guide him in memory of his brother. Dulcea smiled.

"He reminds me so much of Zander. I miss them both so much," Duclea said.

"I'm sorry, it's partly my fault that all this happened," Zedd apologized.

"I have forgiven you. Vile planted lies in your head and preyed on your vulnerabilities. Zander would forgive you too," Dulcea replied.

"Then he was a better man than me, but then we both know that he was," Zedd replied with a smirk.

"You've gone a long way to make up for your shortcomings. Zander and I will be forever grateful to you for remaining on Earth to watch over him," Dulcea said.

"It's the least I can do," Zedd replied, as the continued to watch him through Dulcea's viewing pool.

* * *

_Chapter 1 picks up in 2007, right after the Operation Overdrive episode, "Once a Ranger."_


	2. Chapter 1: You're the Reason

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also do not own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 1. Please refer to the prologue for important author's notes. Please note the prologue was set in 1995, but the rest of the story takes place in 2007, beginning right after the Operation Overdrive episode, "Once a Ranger."

AN 2: As stated in the previous chapter, this story will focus on the NS, DT, MMPR/Zeo teams, but there will eventually be appearances from rangers of other teams as well. By the title, I'm sure you've concluded that Hunter will have a large role in the story and that this is a Hunter/Tori pairing. There's no Blake bashing, just some brotherly rivalry. Connor/Kira is the other main pairing and eventually we will have Tommy/Kim and Billy/Kat. Minor pairings include Dustin/Marah and Rocky/Aisha. Other pairings are to be decided and suggestions are welcome as long as they do not include changing any of the pairings stated above. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Crimson Rising

Chapter 1: You're the Reason

_Hold me until sunrise, I can't wait for you to breathe_

_'Cause it's all I need_

_And I will always say_

_You're the reason I believe_

_They can't stop me if I breathe_

_They won't stop me if I bleed_

**Song: You're the Reason**

**Artist: Eyeshine**

_**2007**_

_Angel Grove, California_

_Red Frog Dojo_

Adam Park walked into his dojo that he co-owned with his best friend. It was morning and he had just got back into town. Despite that, he had decided to come in and try to get caught up on a few things. Rocky had been holding down the fort while he was temporarily donning black armor once again. Thrax had been defeated though and thanks to Alpha, the Morphing Grid had been repaired.

"Did I just walk through a time portal or is that really Alpha cleaning the storage room?" Rocky Desantos asked, as he came trudging in from the back room. Adam grinned.

"No, that's really Alpha. He wants to feel useful again so I put him to work," Adam replied.

"So I guess Thrax is history then?" Rocky asked. Adam nodded.

"Yep, back to retirement. The new team has a handle on things again," Adam replied.

"Man, I can't believe Rita and Zedd had a kid," Rocky said, shaking his head.

"That creates all kinds of images that are just nasty," Rocky quipped, only half joking. Adam cringed.

"Yeah, Thrax definitely got hit by the ugly train, as Aisha would say," Adam replied.

"Speaking of my wife, she expects you for dinner tonight so you can tell us all about working with the other former rangers. And Olivia misses her uncle Adam," Rocky said. Adam grinned again.

"I'll be there. I've missed Liv too," he responded, as students started to file in. Adam smiled and went to greet his students, who seemed excited for his return. Life had once again returned to normal.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Tori Hanson breathed in the familiar and beloved scent of salty ocean air. The sun was dipping below the horizon, creating a picture perfect scene at the mostly deserted Blue Bay Harbor beach. It was November, after all, and the water was only warm enough to enjoy during the day this time of year. She could feel a winter chill in the air, though she knew it was a very mild cold, compared to other parts of the country this time of year. She had just returned home from assisting the Overdrive rangers in defeating Thrax, son of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. Feeling the rush of the power had felt amazing once again, but meeting rangers of other teams had also been exciting. She knew Kira already, but meeting the others, especially one of the original twelve had been an honor. Adam Park was an amazing fighter and she had wished it was an experience she could have shared with the guys. She knew they would grill her for every detail of the battle though. At that thought, she grinned, as she felt a pair of strong arms slide around her waist. Warm, soft lips kissed her neck and a nose nuzzled her ear.

"I take it you got my text," she surmised.

"Of course. I think your "brothers" were a little miffed that you didn't text them though," he joked, his deep, tenor voice sending delicious chills down her spine.

"They'll get over it, especially when I spill all the gory details of battle to them. I wanted to see you first," she replied.

"Lucky me," he whispered huskily, as the breeze tousled his shaggy, dirty blonde locks. She turned her head, so she could capture those lips with her own. He responded just as eagerly, his mouth dueling with hers in a passionate rhythm. If you had told her four years ago that she would one day be in love with the brooding, aloof Hunter Bradley, she would have denied such a possibility with vehement. But she knew a different Hunter than most. True, he had loosened up a lot around the guys over the years and even trusted Shane, Dustin, and Cam now. They were his "bros" now, especially since Blake had been off touring the world with Factory Blue for almost four years. But no one had bonded like they had when Blake left. What started as the common interest of missing the navy wielder of thunder had grown into a friendship and confidence. Within two years, they knew just about everything there was to know about each other. Soon they began to realize that he knew things about her that not even Dustin knew and she about him that not even Blake knew. By that time, Blake had been gone for two and a half years and guilt still ate at them about their growing feelings. That is, until the tabloid photos of Blake with a female rider looking very cozy surfaced. He had called Tori and denied that anything was going on between them. She believed him, but they decided that because nothing had ever been established between them that seeing other people wouldn't be a crime. Their talk had finally allowed her to let go of her guilt over her growing feelings for the tall, handsome blonde that was now her boyfriend.

Hunter had struggled with his own guilt over the matter. He knew he was in love with Tori and felt like he was betraying his brother on one hand. On the other, he wanted to chide his younger sibling for even expecting a beautiful woman like Tori to wait years for him to return from touring the world. Blake's career was soaring and there had been no signs of him slowing down.

It had been a year and a half now since their feelings had come to a head and while, they were happy and in love with no regrets, they had yet to tell Blake that they were together. It wasn't that they were afraid to, but it wasn't something Hunter wanted to do in an e-mail and he hadn't seen his brother in person since they had helped the Dino Rangers in 2004.

Hunter didn't feel guilty anymore. Tori was his entire world now and what they had went beyond anything he had ever thought possible. He wasn't sure how the beautiful blonde in his arms had managed to tear down all his walls and take up permanent residence in his heart, but he wasn't complaining and he wouldn't change anything.

Tori's guilt had faded the moment Hunter confessed that he was in love with her. Hunter sometimes rubbed people the wrong way, because he usually bottled his feelings and was often standoffish. But she knew a different Hunter, a romantic, passionate Hunter that loved her with his entire being. For a long time, she had silently wondered why she hadn't been enough for Blake, though she didn't begrudge him for jumping on the opportunity he had been offered with Factory Blue. Still, her insecurities sometimes ate at her. But over time, her insecurity faded as Hunter made sure that she knew that she was more than enough for him, more than he believed he deserved, even though she in return chided him for thinking he didn't deserve to be happy. The past was the past. She was just a lot better at letting it go than he was sometimes. He still often was the quiet, brooding Hunter, but she would never let him go too long without coaxing him to talk about what he was feeling.

"I'm assuming that everything went well since you're back," he mentioned, as their lips finally parted. She smiled, as she looked into his ice blue eyes.

"Crisis averted and evil asses thoroughly kicked," she replied in amusement.

"Though I wish you could have been out there with me," she added.

"Me too," he said, as he kissed her hair.

"You would have loved a good spar with Adam. He has mad marital arts skills," she said.

"Adam?" he asked.

"Adam Park. He was a ranger with Dr. Oliver. Second black ranger," she clarified. Hunter smiled.

"You know Dustin is going to make you go over every single detail, right? He drools over anything related to ranger history," he joked.

"I know. I'm prepared for all the grilling," she replied.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I convinced your bros that you'd be way too worked to talk tonight," he said proudly.

"Oh you did? So we have the whole night alone?" she replied, eyeing him slyly.

"Yep and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a selfish motive for that," he said, squeezing her hip playfully. She smiled.

"Then I say we go home and you give me a proper welcome home," she suggested. He grinned wolfishly.

"You don't have to tell me twice," he retorted, as they made their way toward his crimson street bike. They put their helmets on and with Tori holding onto him tightly, he sped off toward their apartment complex a few miles away.

* * *

_**Los Angeles**_

Kira tiptoed into her posh loft style apartment and dropped her duffle bag to the floor. Looking around, she noticed that the place looked somewhat clean and considering that her boyfriend had been on his own for the last couple weeks, it was a miracle. The only clutter was his soccer gear in the living room and all her mail that had piled up on the coffee table. It was nearly one and she decided to head straight to the bedroom.

She entered as quietly as she could and smiled, as she watched him sleep, while changing into a pale yellow tank top and some white sleep shorts. She climbed into the king sized bed and lay beside him. She let out a breath, decompressing from the day, as her hair fanned out on her pillow.

"Kira?" Connor asked sleepily. She smiled and snuggled close to him, pressing a kiss to his bare chest.

"Yeah," she answered, as she brushed his chestnut colored bangs from his eyes.

"You're home…I missed you," he said, his voice groggy with sleep. She smiled.

"I missed you too," she replied, as their lips met in a passionate kiss. They had only been together about a year now. Their career aspirations had led them to Los Angeles after graduating two years ago. Kira had come first after Doctor Oliver had, unbeknownst to her, sent one of her demos to his friend and former ranger Tanya Sloan. Just about every musician and recording artist in the business knew Tanya Sloan, but Kira had only made the ranger connection after watching Dr. O's video diary. Tanya herself had recorded an album several years ago and became very successful, but she had found her passion in helping struggling young artists like she had once been. In 2003, she had opened her own recording company and began signing young talent that had been overlooked by bigger conglomerates. She signed Kira in 2005 and she began recording right away.

By the time she was booked for her first live performance, Connor had started college and his talent saw him starting for his team. How they had ended up in the same exact place and time in a huge city like L.A. did not go unnoticed by either. Kira remembered how nervous she had been that night. She had played in front of small crowds before, but the stadium in front of thousands was a whole new ballgame. Add to that, the game was being televised nationwide and she was opening for Kylee Styles, who proved that she had not really learned from her humbling experience in Reefside by snubbing her in a beforehand interview when asked about their friendship. Needless to say, she remembered that night for more reasons than one.

* * *

_Fourteen months ago_

_Kira's hands shook, as she gripped her guitar and stepped out onto the stage to begin the halftime show. She couldn't believe she was there. She had dreamed of this and now she felt like she was going to pass out. She took a deep calming breath and her mind raced with all the things that could go wrong. At that moment, a moment that she would look back and realize was fate; something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She looked in that direction and saw him, standing on the sidelines. He was supposed to be in the locker room with his team, but he was watching her instead. He flashed her one of his brilliant smiles and everyone except him suddenly disappeared. The music started and she sung her heart out, just to him, like she had many times at Haley's Cyberspace, and the song ended before she knew it. Thundering applause met her, as she finished, and it became apparent that she had wowed the crowd. But she still couldn't take her eyes off him and he seemed to be having a hard time letting her out of sight too. It had been no surprise later that he had managed to use his genetic gift of super speed from his dino gem to evade security and find his way to her dressing room back stage. When she heard the knock, she knew who it was, but called out anyway._

"_Who is it?" she called._

"_It's Connor," he called back._

"_Come in," she called. He opened the door and closed it behind him. _

"_Do I want to even know how you got past security?" she teased. He shrugged. _

"_Dr. O would understand if he knew I did it for you," he replied simply. Kira felt her cheeks warm and quickly turned away. _

"_I thought maybe you'd like to go get coffee and catch up. I know a great café," he suggested. She smiled and nodded, as she grabbed her small purse._

"_Sure, let's go," she said, as they walked out. But she was bombarded by reporters that suddenly wanted a scoop from the girl that would become an overnight sensation in the music world. _

"_What the heck?" she asked in confusion. Connor smirked. _

"_I guess I'm not the only one that liked your performance," he said, smiling at her. _

"_Uh…I don't think I'm ready for this," Kira said uncertainly. _

"_Want to get out of here in a hurry?" he asked coyly. _

"_Desperately," she replied. He took her hand and they rounded the corner. When they were out of sight, Kira gasped, as she felt his arm go around her waist. He flashed her another smirk._

"_Hang on," he told her, as they were gone in a red streak. _

_End Flashback_

* * *

Kira smiled at the memory, as his lips slowly moved down her neck.

"I still think they should have picked me to be red for that mission," Connor said huskily, as he gave the nape of her neck his full attention. She giggled.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wanted you out there with me. No offense to Bridge, of course," she said, smiling slyly.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"Of course, it was strange being out there without you. Though I would have never admitted it when we were rangers, you really were a great leader," she replied. He didn't look so sure.

"I don't know, I was a selfish jerk at first and Dr. O did a lot of the leading," Connor said.

"But you're not that guy. That was just on the surface anyway. Being a ranger brought out the best in you…in all of us. We wouldn't be together if it wasn't for our experience as rangers," she reminded. He smiled and nodded.

"I guess you're right," he said, as he gazed at her beautiful face.

"We should probably get some sleep," she replied. He flashed one of his "Connor" smiles as she called them.

"Yeah right," he replied, playfully, as he claimed her lips in another searing kiss.

* * *

The sleek, large vessel streaked through hyperspace en route to the milky-way galaxy. Aboard, aliens of many worlds milled about, carrying on with their duties in servitude to their Mistress.

"Status report," the female voice commanded.

"We'll be in Earth's orbit in three days, my Mistress," an armored, green skinned man said. Her top general, from a powerful race of warriors, was a top caliber fighter, merciless and a brilliant strategist. He made other henchmen look like complete jokes. He was of course accompanied by many of his own kind, his warriors, who followed his every command to a fault. She remained the only person he took orders from.

"Thank you Xinshing. Have you been monitoring Earth?" she asked. He nodded.

"The Overdrive Rangers, with the help of several former rangers, defeated Thrax. The Morphing Grid has been repaired," Xin, as he was called for short, said.

"Thrax was as stupid as his parents. Still, he could be useful, in my servitude, of course. Have his remains collected once we reach Earth," she ordered, as she raised a glass of red liquid to her purple lips.

"What about the rangers, Mistress?" he asked. She shrugged.

"What about them? Even if they all somehow managed to get their powers back, you know that it won't matter. My father's new powers alone are more than enough to kill all who stand against him. I'm not pushover and my army, including you, have made a living slaughtering rangers on dozens of worlds. These rangers will be no different, especially when my father awakens and finds out he has the chance at revenge," she replied. He knew she was right. He and his people had long served Lord Ooze. He had cared for and raised the heir to Ooze's Empire when Ivan had been sealed away in the hyper lock chamber by the Council of Meledon. Twelve years ago, when they had heard that his hyper lock chamber had finally been unearthed, they had started to Earth to join him. But when they arrived, all that was left of him was remnants of him dispersed with the wandering debris of Ryan's Comet.

Lady Toxa, daughter of Ivan Ooze, had nearly launched an all-out assault on Earth right then and there. But he had convinced her that there was enough of her father's essence left that he could be brought back with the technology that existed in their home galaxy. He convinced her that revenge would be much sweeter this way. She had agreed and the debris was collected, before they returned to the Ooze Empire, many galaxies away. Now they had returned and the time to awaken Lord Ivan was at hand.

"Your Father will be proud of you, my Lady and he will finally resume his rule of all galaxies, starting with this one," Xin stated. A smirk appeared on her beautiful, yet purple skinned face. She put her glass down and toyed with a jet black lock of her long hair.

"I do hope the rangers have enjoyed their happy little lives, because every single one of them is about to die…but not before I make sure the ones who destroyed my father, and anyone allied to them, suffer," she said darkly, as she left the bridge…


	3. Chapter 2: Starlight

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics. I'm just borrowing to set the tone.

AN: Here's chapter 2! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to previous chapter and prologue for other important author's notes.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 2: Starlight

_Far away  
This ship is taking me far away  
Far away from the memories  
Of the people who care if I live or die_

Starlight  
I will be chasing the starlight  
Until the end of my life  
I don't know if it's worth it anymore

**Song: Starlight**

**Artist: Muse**

_**Space, nearing the Milky Way Galaxy**_

_**The Ooze Empire's massive Royal Cruiser**_

Purple eyes snapped open and looked from side to side. He sat up sharply, but felt a hand on his shoulder. A purple female hand.

"Easy Father," she urged.

"Toxa…" Ivan Ooze uttered, as his grown daughter stood beside him.

"What do you remember, My Lord?" Xinshing asked. Ivan thought for a moment and purple lightning swirled around him.

"Power Rangers…" he growled.

"You will have your revenge, Father. It has been twelve years since the comet hit you, but we have worked tirelessly to see to your regeneration," Toxa said, as she walked over to the console and pulled up the schematics.

"But we didn't stop there. Your powers are unlike anything you've ever experienced now and in just two days, we'll be within Earth's orbit. They will pay for what they did to you," Toxa said. Ivan sat there for a moment and grinned evilly.

"I'll make sure Zordon can't come back this time," Ivan growled.

"Zordon is already dead, my Lord," Xin said regrettably. He looked to Toxa, who nodded.

"He used his essence to destroy Dark Specter's army of followers during the earth year 1998; three years after the comet hit you. Since the team that destroyed you, there have been approximately twelve teams of rangers, nine if you exclude the Space rangers, Galaxy rangers, and Time Force rangers. Besides the current team that is scrambling to find the jewels of the Corona Aurora, I believe only the Lightspeed team still have their powers. Most have moved on to live normal lives," Toxa informed.

"You've been watching them," Ivan noted.

"I find it strange how these emotional, sentimental fools are able to do all they have," Toxa snorted in disgust, as she stared at the many faces of the former rangers on the screen.

"So did I, but I underestimated them. That will not happen again," Ivan stated, as the task of studying his enemies began…

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Tori moaned in her sleep, snuggling closer to his warm chest. Sunlight was slowly filling the room, but she didn't want to move or even think about getting up. Beneath the sheets, her limbs tangled with his, their bodies pressed together and as awareness slowly edged their senses, hands began to roam with passionate intent. But an incessant knocking spoiled the morning's passion. Their lips parted and Tori looked out toward the living room in annoyance.

"You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled, glancing at the clock, which read eight a.m.

"Maybe they'll go away," he responded huskily, as he sought her lips again. She greedily captured his in another passion filled kiss. But another knock interrupted them.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," he groaned

"Not if I do first," she said, as she fished a tank top off the floor and a pair of shorts. She looked around for her underwear and he smirked, as he plucked them off the lamp.

"Looking for these?" he asked, smirking deviously. She smiled back and took them from him.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah I gotta take a quick cold shower, and then I'll be out," he replied, blushing sheepishly. She laughed and leaned in for another quick kiss, before going to answer the door.

* * *

As she opened the door with a huff, she was greeted by Dustin and Shane's goofy grins and a guilty looking Cam behind them.

"What are you doing here already? It's barely eight," she demanded to know. She was trying to sound angry, but failing miserably.

"Ah come on Tor! You've been back in action and we're dying for details here!" Dustin pleaded, as he tried not to cower under one her glares.

"I expect this from you two, but you Cam?" Tori said, eyeing the guilty looking guy in green.

"I tried to stop them, but they're impossible, you know that," Cam defended himself.

"We brought breakfast," Shane tempted, as he held up a box containing bagels and cream cheese.

"Are there cinnamon ones?" she inquired.

"Totally…we got extra of those!" Dustin chimed in excitedly. She gave him a weird look.

"How much coffee has he had already?" she asked, as they came in a shut the door.

"Believe it or not, only one cup," Cam drawled.

"Where's Hunter?" Shane asked. Tori smiled coyly, as she went into the kitchen to start the coffee.

"Oh he's showering," she replied, as she took out five coffee mugs. About that time, Hunter sauntered in, damp hair, but dressed in jeans and a crimson muscle shirt.

"All right, Hunter is here. Now you can tell us about the battle," Dustin said excitedly.

"Are you sure someone didn't drop him on his head when he was a baby?" Hunter joked.

"Oh no, we're pretty sure that happened…a lot," she joked back.

"That's harsh dudes," Dustin said, as he chomped on a cream cheese topped bagel.

"I'll tell you everything about my time with the others…after I shower. When I return though, there better be a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese waiting for me and coffee or no story," Tori said.

"Done," Dustin said, as he went to work. Hunter chuckled.

"You realize that you could probably get him to wash your van and wax your board too if you keep dangling the story in front of him," he said mischievously.

"As fun as that would be to watch, it would be mean," she replied, kissing his cheek.

"I'll be back," Tori announced.

"Hurry," Dustin called. Tori rolled her eyes and closed the bathroom door.

* * *

The tall, leggy finished pouring coffee into her travel mug in the small apartment she lived in with her seven-year-old son. Blue Bay Harbor was brand new to her and while she hated her job as a receptionist at a small business with her picky boss, the town was lovely. But she didn't get attached anymore; being that this was her fifteenth city in three years. She did what she had to for her baby though and the job provided to her by the witness protection program paid the bills and provided anonymity.

Katherine Hillard's life had gone from a high note after high school to a continual downward spiral from there. She had been accepted into dance programs in both London and New York, before finally settling on Julliard as her choice. She was at the top of her class and Broadway fame seemed to naturally be in her future. After her mutual split with Tommy after graduation, she focused on her dancing during her first two years. In her third year, she starred in a major Broadway dance production and caught the eye of a young, rich philanthropist that was seemingly captivated by the blonde bombshell. Malcolm Renaldi was the son of a very rich and prominent New York family and showered Katherine with attention, begging her for a date. His handsome charm swept her in like any young, naïve woman and she was soon seriously dating the young heir. The wedding a year later was a lavish event and the honeymoon like something out a fairy tale. But that was where the dream had ended and the nightmare had begun.

Katherine soon realized that within the first few months of her marriage that her husband was a very dangerous man, the family business was a front for organized criminal activity, and that she was a prisoner in her own life. Malcolm changed from the charming prince that swept her off her feet to a monster that controlled her every whim. She was a trophy wife, arm candy, expected to cater to his every whim and obey him. And his vice-like grip on her only tightened when she had their son, Aiden. Despite her internal hatred for her abusive, criminal husband, she adored her baby boy and devoted herself fully to him, praying every day that he would somehow turn out to be a good person, despite the fact that Malcolm was simply waiting for the day where he could begin teaching him everything about the family business.

Katherine knew that she had to get out, but it was only when that she had accidentally walked in on a brutal murder that she made her move.

* * *

_Flashback…2004_

_Tears fell down her cheeks, as her husband performed his nightly assault on her body. He had come in smelling of alcohol as usual and called her out for not greeting him properly at the door, or so he stated. Malcolm never needed a reason to slap her around and rape her. He just did it and after smacking her a few times, he proceeded to rape her. Kat bit the pillow to keep her agonized screams at bay. He was even more vicious when she screamed and her son was starting to pick up on his father's abuse of his mother. Kat didn't want him to know. Aiden was brazen for his tender age of four and knew that the small boy would talk back to his father. It would only earn him a whipping and Kat would rather her husband rape her a thousand times then to see her baby suffer his abuse. _

"_Ungrateful whore…after all I do for you…" Malcolm grunted. _

"_I own you Katherine…_" _he growled harshly._

_As usual, Malcolm cleaned up and left to conduct business elsewhere in the large family compound that had become her prison. Katherine managed to clean herself up and her eyes were still red and puffy when she heard soft footfalls enter her bedroom. Standing in the doorway was her four-year-old, clad in footy pajamas, and clutching a stuffed Tyrannosaurus Rex toy that Jason and Trini had sent when they found out she was pregnant. Her friends knew of her marriage and son, but no one knew about the abuse. She couldn't tell them, because she knew all the guys would be getting in line to beat the crap out of Malcolm and as much as she wanted that, she refused to put them in danger. Malcolm's network ran too deeply. He had people and moles everywhere, even in the police department and none of them had their ranger powers anymore. But she also felt ashamed and dirty. She buried her pain and held on tightly to her son, her only light. _

"_Mommy, are you crying again?" Aiden asked, his mushroom mop of blonde hair falling in his eyes. _

"_Mommy is okay, come here baby," she called in her thick accent. He scampered to her and she lifted him into her lap. _

"_Daddy did bad things to you again, didn't he?" Aiden asked sadly, sounding far older than his four tender years would suggest. _

"_I'll be okay my love," she whispered, as she kissed his hair._

"_Mommy…why can't the friends you told me about help you? They're really strong," Aiden said with a childlike innocence that Kat had lost long ago. _

"_It's too dangerous, honey. Your Daddy is a powerful man and I don't want them to get hurt," Katherine told him. Aiden nodded sadly. _

"_Come on, let's sneak down to the kitchen and have a bedtime snack," she whispered, as she took his hand and led him downstairs. They slipped unnoticed past the large living/entertainment room where Malcolm was conducting one of his usual meetings. Plastic bags full of white powder were stacked on the table and a deal was in the process. It was nothing unusual that Kat hadn't witnessed before. She knew that what she knew would end with Malcolm someday putting a bullet in her head, but her only fear was for Aiden. She had all but given up on getting out of this alive…that was until she heard the gunshots in the living room. She pulled Aiden back before he could go running in. She knew what had happened, most likely. Malcolm had probably discovered another person in his operation that was an undercover cop or perhaps it had been one of the underlings that had made a minor mistake. Malcolm never needed a good reason to kill someone; he liked doing so and had told her as such. White hot fear shot through her, as he was suddenly in the kitchen, glaring down at them. She cried out, as he grabbed her arm and backhanded her, before throwing her to the floor. _

"_Mommy!" Aiden cried. _

"_Shut up brat," Malcolm hissed, as he pushed the boy down beside his mother. _

"_Stupid little bitch…get your ass upstairs now. I'll deal with you soon enough," he growled. Sobbing almost uncontrollably, Katherine plucked Aiden up and scrambled upstairs. _

"_Daddy is a bad man," Aiden whispered. Katherine sobbed harder, as she knew her son's perceptive nature and bravery would soon see him on the receiving end of Malcolm's rage. She went to the bedroom and put him on the bed, before picking up her cell phone, hands shaking violently. _

"_Who are you calling, Mommy?" Aiden asked. _

"_Your Uncle Jason," Kat whispered. _

"_Hello?" Jason answered. _

"_Jase…it's Kat…" she sobbed. _

"_Kat…what's wrong?" Jason asked, hearing her sobs. _

"_Are…you still with the FBI?" she asked, biting her bottom lip._

"_Um…yeah, Kat, what's going on, you're scaring me," Jason demanded. _

"_I'm in trouble Jason…so much trouble. He's…" Kat was cut off by her friend._

"_I know what he is Kat. I'm an FBI agent, remember? We've been after him for a long time. It's been killing Trini and me, knowing that you're trapped in all this," Jason confessed. Kat sobbed harder. _

"_He's going to kill us…I have to get my baby out of here. Please help us…" Kat sobbed. _

"_I'm calling it in. Hang tight, I'm getting you two out of there," Jason said, as he hung up. Kat tried to calm down, but she knew that this was only the beginning. Malcolm would try to have her killed, she would be forced to testify and then she and her son would go into witness protection. She took one look at her baby though and realized that she would do anything to get him away from this life…_

_End Flashback…_

* * *

"Aiden…hurry up. We need to leave!" Kat called. For the time being, Aiden was attending Harbor Elementary School and she knew how tough it was on him moving around so much. But her little one never complained. He was very bright and understood their situation far better than she ever would have at his age.

Since Jason had rescued them from Malcolm, he and Trini remained the only ones that knew about her situation. Malcolm's attorneys had been tying up the legal process for years and she had yet to testify, making witness protection a new way of life. His people always found them and she knew it was only a matter of time. It made her sad, especially since Aiden loved Blue Bay Harbor the most out of any place they had been so far. She had to admit that she was fond of the ocean bordered town as well. But she knew it didn't matter. Malcolm would find them again and they would soon be whisked away to another life. Aiden ran out and grabbed his red backpack, before taking his mother's hand. She smiled down at him, as they hurried down the stairs and out to her car.

"Good morning Jennifer," one of her neighbors called. She was a nice older woman that lived across the hall and had a cute Dachshund, who was currently taking care of business. The cute dog barked at seeing her and especially Aiden.

"Morning Ginger!" Aiden called excitedly to the equally enthusiastic dog.

"Morning Mrs. Lever," Kat called, used to her many different names by now. Jennifer Rice was her name this time and she had gone by a dozen others. Kat wasn't even sure if she knew who she was anymore…

* * *

After cleaning up, Tori told them the events of the past two weeks, while they ate breakfast and continued the story, as they rode in her van to Ninja Ops. Once in the clearing, they entered through the portal before the waterfall and went down the stairs to the place that had been their home base during their ranger days. It still remained just a place for the six of them, though Blake had been absent for four years now, and Sensei Watanabe, whom Tori greeted with a hug, as they arrived.

"Welcome back Tori, I trust all went well?" he asked. She nodded.

"Thrax has been dealt with and thanks to Adam, the Morphing Grid was restored so the Overdrive rangers can take over again," Tori reported. Sensei nodded gratefully.

"Mr. Hartford and his son Mack sent their gratitude as well. Your students will be happy to have you back," Sensei said, as he left to tend to his duties. They soon dispersed as well to tend to theirs.

* * *

Toxa stood beside her father, as he observed all the data they had collected about Earth's various power ranger teams.

"Many teams don't have their powers anymore, but a few do. The ones that destroyed you lost the Ninjetti powers shortly after they received them," Toxa informed.

"That's what's troublesome about Ninjas and Ninjetti. Even without ranger powers, they never truly lose their powers," Ivan responded.

"The Lightspeed rangers, from what I have learned, don't access their powers through the Morphing Grid. Theirs are completely reliant on the technology. Destroy the Aqua base in Mariner Bay and that will take out the Lightspeed morphers," Toxa said. Ivan nodded.

"And using our own technology, we should be able to create a barrier around the Earth, preventing time travel, thus cutting SPD and Time Force off. They won't be able to interfere," Xin schemed.

"And as far as we know, the Space Rangers are split between KO-35 and Earth, the Galaxy Rangers are on Mirinoi, and sealing the Animarium off will make the Wild Force powers inaccessible. My magic should cancel any spells Mystic Force can manage, the Overdrive rangers are pathetic rookies that even Thrax was able to beat, and the Dino Rangers have no powers anymore," Ivan listed, taking inventory of his enemies.

"They are important to Tommy Oliver too," Toxa mentioned. Ivan chuckled evilly.

"Very good point. The Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor could be as troublesome as the original brats. They have powers without morphers. Is it really true they defeated Lothor without any ranger powers?" Ivan asked. Xin nodded.

"How embarrassing," Ivan joked, as he examined the six that had destroyed him, the three predecessors and three replacements. The original twelve they were called. Then he examined the Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor as well.

"Yes, this team could be challenging," Ivan said, smirking evilly.

"Father, we could always just destroy the Earth from space. A few carefully calculated energy blasts in the right places would cause catastrophic natural disasters to occur and it would wipe out most of the population," Toxa suggested.

"But that would spoil my fun," Ivan mused.

"No, I'm glad my conquest won't be boring. I'm expecting a good fight. Ninjas and Ninjetti are particularly fun to torture," Ivan said, glaring at the rangers on the screen. "Yes, I think Blue Bay Harbor will be the perfect place for our first demonstration," Ooze cackled evilly.

"The Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor are acquainted with the former white ranger as well. He will certainly hear of the attack," Xin said, respectfully reminding his Master.

"Even better then. Poor Tommy will think he has seen a ghost," Ivan chuckled.

"My Lord, allow me to lead your assault on these Ninjas," Xin requested. But Ivan held his hand up.

"In due time, General Xin. This is just a test and to send a message. My ooze men will be sufficient for this," Ivan stated. Xin stepped back, bowing in respect.

"But you will both get your chance to kill the humans. And when I'm done this time, it really will be as if Zordon of Eltar never existed, for nothing but ashes will remain of his legacy…"


	4. Chapter 3: Mine

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics I've used. I'm just borrowing to set the tone for the chapter.

AN: Here's chapter 3! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to the prologue and chapter 1 for other important author's notes.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 3: Mine

_Do you remember, we were sitting there by the water?  
You put your arm around me for the first time.  
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter.  
You are the best thing that's ever been mine._

_**Song: Mine**_

_**Artist: Taylor Swift**_

* * *

_**Los Angeles**_

_**Apartment of Connor McKnight and Kira Ford**_

Kira giggled, as she and Connor bathed in afterglow of their morning lovemaking. She was desperately trying to keep control, but her boyfriend's amorous intentions were causing her concentration to go out the window.

"Con, I have to be at the studio in an hour," she complained, as his lips grazed on her neck.

"With L.A. traffic, you're going to be late," he said, his voice thick with passion.

"Exactly! I need to shower," she insisted.

"The shower sounds perfect," he replied, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

"I seriously need to get ready," she insisted in a moan, as his hands roamed her body.

"Don't let me stop you then, babe," he teased, grinning down slyly at her.

"You know how I feel about being called babe," she said, glaring mockingly at him. He smirked.

"Yeah, you hate it…except when I do it," he replied cockily. She glared and turned the tables on him, her hands roaming as well. As his eyes closed and he moaned, she smirked.

"Who's in control now, Tyranno boy?" she hissed playfully. He pounced on her and the passion between them grew urgent. Sometime later, Kira fell back to the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as she tried to get her breath.

"I'm so going to be late," Kira complained, as Connor collapsed beside her and smirked.

"I can get you there on time," he replied, grinning mischievously.

"Dr. O is going to skin you alive if you keep using your super speed all the time," she scolded, giving him a playful shove.

"Fine, I'll drive you, but don't complain when we get stuck in traffic," Connor responded, as she tossed her pillow at him. He caught it and started following her into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"We should save time and shower together," he replied huskily, as they stumbled into the bathroom.

"That's so not going to save any time," Kira giggled, not really caring if she was late anymore.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

_**Ninja Ops**_

Hunter returned from the Thunder Academy late that afternoon. Since both he and Tori each taught at the two academies, Sensei Watanabe and Sensei Omino allowed him use of the teleportation system so he could live in Blue Bay Harbor with Tori and still teach at the Thunder Academy. Dressed in his black Ninja uniform, which was trimmed in crimson, he ran a hand through his shaggy sandy blonde mane.

"Hey man," Dustin called, as he came trudging down the stairs. Hunter chuckled at his dirt covered appearance.

"What, did you take a dirt bath?" he joked.

"Sort of," he said nervously, as she Shane came down behind him, laughing. Tori and Cam were next, both chuckling as well. Hunter's grin widened.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Would you like to tell him or should I, oh great Sensei Brooks?" Shane joked.

"Dude…it happens, all right. I didn't know there was mud hole in that spot," Dustin responded. Tori giggled.

"Dustin was teaching his students to use their earth powers to travel underground and burrowed right into a mud hole. His students are covered in it," Tori giggled, as she kissed Hunter's cheek.

"Yeah, ha ha ha, laugh it up," Dustin said, taking it in stride.

"So, are we grubbing?" Shane asked.

"Totally, I'm starved. We gotta wait for Marah and Kapri though," Dustin said, mentioning his girlfriend and her sister.

"They won't be done with class for another half hour," Cam mentioned.

"You guys wait for them and we'll meet you at the pizza place in an hour," Hunter said, as he and Tori joined hands, before heading for the stairs.

"Where are you guys going?" Shane asked.

"For a walk," Tori replied, rolling her eyes as the teasing and kissy noises began.

"You guys are so immature," she complained.

* * *

_**Aquitar…**_

Billy Cranston dug his fingers into the wiring of the panel and made one simple adjustment, before nodding to his friend.

"Try it now, Cestro," he told the blue Aquitian ranger. Cestro turned the nob and all the lights on the device in question lit up in working order. The blue Aquitian ranger grinned.

"You crossed the wrong wires," Billy said.

"I labored over this for hours. I cannot believe I did not see that," Cestro replied. Billy shrugged.

"Sometimes, it's the simplest errors that can elude us," the former blue wolf ranger said, fondly recalling the time that he had put the batteries in backwards in a device during one of his many battles as a ranger himself.

"Thank you, now maybe Delphine will "chill out" as you earthlings say," Cestro said. The former first blue ranger of earth chuckled and suddenly felt something latch onto his leg. He grinned and gazed down playfully at the tiny girl, whose green eyes danced with laughter. He lifted his tiny four-year-old daughter into his arms. In his teen years, Billy had never imagined being as happy as he was and certainly never suspected that it would be on a planet light years away from his birthplace.

"Trina Marie, did you wander away from mama again?" Billy asked.

"Yes, she's as slippery as a dolphin," Cestria's voice chimed, as she entered her husband's lab. Despite his young age when he arrived on Aquitar, he married Cestria a year later and after two years together, they began to start thinking about having a family. Unfortunately, they were nearly heartbroken to learn that they were not biologically compatible to produce children the natural way. But being a society with advanced technology, Aquitar's gifted scientists told them it was possible to have a child, albeit if the child was mostly human. Even though Trina, named after his best friend Trini, was created in an unconventional way, she was still born of his and Cestria's love. She was completely human, but her DNA was enhanced by the Aquitian affinity for water. She couldn't breathe underwater like her mother, but already at four, she was a fast swimmer and could hold her breath longer than any human was capable of. She was also a child prodigy, like her parents, and a unique hybrid of human and Aquitian genes. Despite being unique, a human would never suspect that she was anything but a normal human child. She had her mother's brown hair, gentle smile and her father's green eyes. Neither Billy nor Cestria cared that her birth wasn't traditional, because she was theirs and that's all that mattered to them.

"Daddy is working sweetheart," Cestria cooed, watching her daughter pout and hook her arms around her father's neck. Billy chuckled.

"It's okay, we're about done for the day," he told his wife. Trina perked up at the sound of that and squealed in delight, as her father shifted her onto his back.

"Hold on Princess," he told her, as he joined hands with his wife and they left the lab for their residence.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor Beach**_

Hunter and Tori strolled along the beach, hand in hand, as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

"You've been quiet tonight," she said, noticing the pensive look on his face. He sighed.

"I talked to Blake today," he stated. She was silent for a long moment.

"You told him?" she asked.

"Video chat isn't exactly how I wanted to do it, but when he called the Thunder Academy to talk earlier, I knew it was going to be the best time. I asked him if he would be home for Thanksgiving and he won't, but possibly Christmas. I didn't want him to find out then so I told him," Hunter confessed.

"How did he take it?" she asked.

"He didn't believe me at first, since he pointed out that you and I never had much to do with each other unless he was around. I told him that a lot of things had changed in four years. I think sometimes he forgets that it's been that long," Hunter replied.

"Was he angry?" she asked. Hunter smirked.

"He yelled at me and asked me how I could even think of stealing "his girl" when I was supposed to be his bro," Hunter said, pausing for a moment.

"I informed him that before he left that you weren't anyone's girl. I explained to him that him that we became good friends after he left and that's all it was at first. He shrunk back a little when I told him that we bonded over both missing him," Hunter said.

"It's true and I don't want to feel guilty about being with you anymore," Tori said passionately.

"Me either. I love you and nothing's going to change that," he promised, as he caressed her cheek.

"So…are things okay between you two?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"We'll be okay. He might have a stick up his ass for a while, but I know Blake and I think he's actually madder at himself that he lost you to his big brother," Hunter said sheepishly.

"Lost me? Like I'm a trophy or something?" she asked indignantly. Hunter held his hands up.

"Hey, it's how Blake is acting, not me. I know you're with me because you want to be," Hunter defended himself. She smirked.

"And because I love you, thunder boy," she added playfully.

"I love you too, water nymph," he whispered huskily to her. Tori felt the heat rise in her cheeks. The passionate, romantic side of Hunter was something only she had ever seen and she always blushed when he called her that, especially the first time he had, early on in their relationship, coining it in retort to her playful nickname of thunder boy for him. He decided it was the perfect name for her, since he often found her at the beach in her free time, surrounded by her element.

"So you two are really okay?" she pressed. He nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, we may compete with each other all the time, but we'll always be brothers. I know deep down that he wants us both to be happy most of all," Hunter told her.

"I'm glad, but don't think I won't be telling him that Tori Hanson was not a trophy for him to win," she said with a look that meant business. He chuckled and pulled her into his arms.

"Blake can have all the motocross trophies in the world and I'll still be the winner as long as I have you," Hunter told her.

"You know, I know that you mean every single word of that and if you weren't so sincere and…sexy, it might sound corny," she teased. She suddenly laughed out loud as he dug his fingers into her sides, tickling her mercilessly. She shrieked and ran from him. He gave chase and caught her easily with his Ninja speed. She pretended to protest, as he swept her into his arms, bridal style.

"You are such a cheater, Hunter Bradley. Using your Ninja powers out in the open like this is shameful," she chided, though she couldn't hide her teasing smirk. He smirked and plopped down in the sand, setting her down beside him, before leaning over her.

"Are you going to rat me out?" he asked.

"Maybe, unless you do something to convince me not to rat you out for your bad boy ways," she replied, playing along. He smirked.

"Oh I think I can," he replied, as he kissed her passionately. As they began a playful make out session in the sand, the wind began to pick up and blew harshly around them, tossing sand about. The sudden change was enough to perk Hunter's keen Ninja senses. Like they all were, he was particularly tuned to his element. He turned his head up to the sky and they watched dark clouds swirl over the ocean.

"That storm moved in fast," Tori mentioned.

"Yeah…too fast," Hunter replied, as his eyes fixated on the strange clouds.

"Hunter…what is it?" she asked.

"This storm is not natural," he replied, as the rumbling in the sky was felt beneath them now. Hunter got to his feet and helped her up, as the clouds in the sky took on a purplish glow. Tori's eyes widened, as she watched her boyfriend raise his communicator to his lips. A communicator that was for emergencies only and hadn't been used since Lothor's return three years ago.

"Shane, you and the guys need to get down to the beach now," Hunter said in a deadly serious tone. He was in what she referred to as "red ranger" mode and that worried her deeply.

"Hunter…it can't be. It can't be Lothor," she whispered, as she gripped his hand.

"It's not Lothor," he assured.

"This is something…else," he said in an ominous tone. She knew Shane would be in leader mode as well and not even question why Hunter had used the communicators they had used during their ranger days. It didn't take the guys long to Ninja streak to the beach.

"Dude, you're freaking me out, man. What's so important that you used the communicator?" Shane asked, as he rushed toward them with Dustin and Cam flanking him. Hunter pointed at the sky and looks of awe and confusion came to the others faces.

"Dude, those are some seriously creepy clouds," Dustin said.

"Look at the water!" Cam cried suddenly, as it was suddenly oozing purple.

"Gross…what is that?" Tori wondered.

"I don't know, but somehow I think we're about to find out," Shane responded, as the oozing substance reached the shore and began to take form.

"No way!" Dustin cried, as several oozing creatures suddenly surrounded them, muttering unintelligible words. Tori jumped back in disgust, as one made a grab for her. He was met with Hunter's fist in response, knocking the creature away. He pulled back his fist and found it covered with purple goo.

"That's nasty! What are these things made of?" Dustin cried, as he shoved one away.

"I don't know, but they want a fight so let's give it to them!" Shane called, as he delivered a flying side kick to one. Tori and Hunter took fighting stance back to back, but no matter what moves they used, the creatures kept getting back up. Dustin held his stomach in pain, as one got a good hit on him.

"Man, these things definitely don't belong to Lothor," he said, as he made some motions with his hands and disappeared beneath the sand. Three of the creatures looked confused and Dustin unleashed his earth powers, as he emerged from the ground, blowing the creatures back and spewing sand everywhere.

Cam clutched his arm in pain and helped Shane up, as he was thrown to the ground.

"This is bad…" Cam said.

"Yeah…are you sure the morphers are powerless?" Shane asked. Cam nodded.

"The last battle drained them and Tori's was only restored temporarily as well," Cam said.

"Then I guess we have to rely on our Ninja powers," Shane said, as red energy swirled in the air around his hands and he launched an air attack at the oncoming foes. Cam smirked.

"Or in my case, my samurai powers," Cam said, as he made motions with his hands, calling on the residual energy from the Samurai Amulet that had bonded with him genetically. Green energy swirled into an energy orb and he launched it. He managed a direct hit in the chest, making a hole in the creature.

"Nice one Cam," Shane complimented.

"They can be beaten! We just have to get creative!" Cam called, as he launched another attack.

Water swirled around Tori, as she used her elemental attack. The torrent of water blew several back, but they kept advancing.

"They don't seem to mind water so much," she said in disappointment.

"Let's try thunder then," Hunter said, as crimson lightning sizzled between his palms. He concentrated and willed it into a crackling ball of lightning, before launching it at the creatures. But even if Hunter and Cam's attacks seemed to slow them down, giving them a sliver of hope, the creatures kept coming until they slowly backed the former rangers into a cluster and surrounded them. And then, as quickly as they had come, they disappeared.

"What the…" Shane wondered in confusion as he looked around.

"They're gone…" Hunter said.

"Good riddance," Dustin huffed.

"Yeah, but they were winning. Why did they just leave?" Cam asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm just glad they're gone," Tori replied.

"We need to tell Sensei," Shane said.

"Knowing Dad, he's already felt that something's wrong," Cam said, as they nodded to each other and Ninja streaked back to Ops.

* * *

Ivan Ooze observed the battle between his Ooze henchmen and the five former rangers and Ninja's on his view screen. The harnessing of their elemental powers intrigued him and the ability to use them so effectively would prove to be an exciting challenge. But he would dominate this world this time, of that he had no doubt. He would enjoy defeating them all time and again, delivering them the feeling of utter despair and just before he crushed them for good, he would pull back so he could do all over again the next day. The irony that they would experience what so many of the enemies that they had fought previously had only added to the delightful torture he had planned for them all.

"They are powerful, even without ranger powers," Toxa said, as she watched her father recall their henchmen.

"Father…what are you doing?" she asked.

"Relax my daughter, this was simply a test. Pay close attention and you will learn the art of revenge," Ivan instructed, as he froze the screen on the four young men and one young woman.

"Are you not worried about their control over their respected elements? The thunder one especially has shown immense unpredictability in the past," Toxa said. Ivan smirked evilly.

"Yes, he will be challenging, as most reds are. But he has one very exploitable weakness," Ivan said. Toxa nodded.

"The wielder of water," Toxa said. Ivan chuckled.

"Those silly reds are usually easily manipulated when you threaten one of their females. The males in general always gravitate around the heart of the team," Ivan said, as he pressed a key and the screen changed, bringing up several female former rangers.

"Attack the heart of the team and bring turmoil. That idiot Zedd almost succeeded years ago, but then managed to muck it up of course. Fortunately, this isn't my first rodeo. But first thing is first," Ivan said, looking to his top General.

"Xinshing," he called.

"I await your command, my Lord," Xin said kneeling before him.

"Send your troops to Aquitar and Triforia. Kill the Gold Ranger and the Aquitian rangers. Conquer Triforia and destroy Aquitar. It is of no use to my Empire. Once that is accomplished, send them to Mirinoi. I want the galaxy rangers captured and Mirinoi under my rule as well," Ivan ordered.

"I will have my best generals leave with a deployment at once," Xin responded.

"Good, then you will hit Mariner Bay. I want it in ruins and the Aqua base destroyed. If the Lightspeed rangers should die in the attack, it is of no consequence. Even if they do manage to survive, they will be powerless," Ivan said.

"At once my Lord," he responded.

"Toxa," he said.

"Yes father," she bowed.

"Have you sealed the Earth in a barrier as I have instructed?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes father, neither Time Force nor SPD will be able to interfere as any time gates or warps will be nullified. The Animarium has also been sealed off," she responded.

"Good, prepare to take a detachment to Briarwood and destroy the magical forest and the town when I give the word," Ivan said.

"What about the Space rangers?" she asked. He smirked.

"We will deal with them in due time as well," Ivan responded…


	5. Chapter 4: New Way to Bleed

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics. I'm just borrowing to set the mood.

AN: Here's chapter 4! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to the prologue and chapter 1 for other important author's notes.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 4: New Way to Bleed

_By drifting far beyond the edge  
Freedom, freedom,  
Can't you feel the ground caving in?  
Freedom,  
Give us a reason to believe again  
I feel it coming over me  
I'm still a slave to these dreams  
Is this the end of everything?  
Or just a new way to bleed?_

_**Song: New Way to Bleed**_

_**Artist: Evanescence**_

_**Ninja Ops**_

They filed down the stairs into Ninja Ops and found Sensei Watanabe waiting for them.

"Dad…" Cam called.

"I know Cam. I sensed the disturbance and saw your battle on the monitors," Sensei informed, motioning to the recorded footage.

"Sensei…have you ever seen creatures like these before?" Tori asked.

"I have not Tori, but I fear that this is only the beginning of something very bad," Sensei said, looking more worried than he had in a long time.

"Those things could have beaten us, but they didn't. Why?" Shane asked.

"We were being tested," Hunter concluded, as all eyes turned to him.

"I fear that Hunter is right. Perhaps it is time to consult other teams to see if they have seen such creatures as well," Sensei suggested.

"We could e-mail the footage to Adam in Angel Grove," Tori suggested.

"Hey, yeah and maybe Dr. Oliver in Reefside. He's been a ranger for like…ever!" Dustin said.

"It's a good idea, but this is pretty sensitive footage where we're all using our powers. I think we should go show them the footage in person," Cam suggested.

"And leave Blue Bay Harbor unprotected?" Shane asked warily.

"I'll go to Reefside and meet with Hayley and Dr. Oliver. It's only forty minutes from here. Since Tori knows Adam, she and Hunter can ride to Angel Grove. It's a good four hours, but if there is an emergency and you two get in a bind, we can always be teleported back in an emergency," Cam stated. Hunter nodded.

"We'll get up early and be there by mid-morning," Hunter decided.

"There's nothing more to do here tonight. Let's go eat and then all go home and get some rest," Shane suggested, as they prepared to head back into town.

* * *

_**Los Angeles**_

Kira cheered loudly with the home crowd, as Conner made the final winning goal. His team surrounded him in victory and she cheered for him, as their eyes met from across the field. She made her way down from her VIP box to the sidelines where he scooped her up and spun her around.

"Congratulations," she whispered in his ear.

"Thanks, I doubt I could do any of it without you," he told her.

"Whatever, you were playing soccer long before we were together, charmer," she teased, as she saw the cameras locked on them. Conner rolled his eyes, as they refrained from the kiss they really wanted to share. Too many times they had been snapped by the various media publications and their love was something they preferred to be just for them and not for the world to exploit. Plus, every time they were caught on camera, Ethan was ribbing Conner about it on the phone the next day, much to his annoyance. Since the two of them had come from such different ends of the social spectrum in high school, their coupling intrigued both people that knew them and people that didn't. But what they had between them was something only former rangers who were also together could understand. They both were just fine with being an enigma to everyone around them. What was a mystery to others made perfect sense to them and that was all that mattered.

"Come on, I'm starved. Let's get out of here," Conner said, as he picked up his bag.

"Don't you need to go celebrate with the team?" she asked coyly.

"They don't need me to get drunk off their asses. Besides, our celebrating is much more…entertaining," he said, wriggling his eyebrows at her playfully.

"You're incorrigible, Conner McKnight," she scolded.

"But you love me, despite that," he replied, as he led her toward the dark, private back parking lot where the players parked.

As they neared Conner's car, several pairs of beady purple eyes glared at them in the darkness. Conner and Kira stopped dead in their tracks, as they were surrounded by the oozing creatures.

"Conner…what are they?" Kira wondered.

"I…don't know," he replied, as he pulled her closer. The closest creature hissed and growled at them, as he whipped his oozing dreadlocks at him. Conner cried out in pain, as he was slashed across the chest and thrown onto his back.

"CONNER!" Kira screamed, as the creatures descended on her. Her Ptera scream rang out, as they tried to grab her. But it only momentarily deterred them, before they advanced again. Conner leapt to his feet, despite the lacerations on his chest. He grabbed her around the waist and used his super speed to make their escape. He finally stopped when they were a few miles away in an alleyway.

"Oh my God," Kira cried, as she examined the whip marks through his torn jersey.

"I'm fine," he insisted, as he attempted to catch his breath.

"We need to get to Dr. O. Call it red ranger instinct, but those freaks were definitely bad news," Conner groaned. Kira nodded and examined where they were, before dialing a number on her cell phone.

"_Hello," _Tanya Sloan answered.

"Tanya…it's Kira," her voice trembled.

"_What's up girl?"_ her manager asked.

"Conner and I were attacked by these purple creatures. We got away, but we need to get to Reefside to see Dr. O," Kira explained.

"_I'm on my way. Where are you guys?" _Tanya asked.

"The corner of Harvest Road and twenty-first," Kira responded.

"_Stay put and give me thirty," _Tanya replied. Kira let out a shaky breath and Conner hugged her close. Neither could know that their lives were about to change forever…

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Hunter gazed out at the ocean from the balcony just outside their small two bedroom apartment. Since the appearance of the creatures earlier in the evening, he had been on edge. There was something in the air and it was giving him a terrible, gut feeling that something big was coming and it wasn't good. He couldn't shake the bad feeling he had and the look on Sensei Watanabe's face earlier told Hunter that they were going to be dealing with something far worse than Lothor. Sensei Omino had been briefed on the situation and now they were headed to Angel Grove to consult a veteran ranger in the morning. But Hunter already knew it was bad.

"Babe…are you coming to bed?" Tori called out. He turned and gazed at her, drinking in everything about her. Her beauty still managed to stun him to speechlessness on a daily basis. Even in a simple light blue tank top and white shorts, she was breathtaking and he wondered what she had ever seen in him. He wasn't always the easiest person to deal with, though he had become better, thanks to her love. Where most usually gave up on trying to talk to him or get along with him, she had pressed on, somehow tearing down all his defenses and staking her claim on his heart. He never in a million years thought he'd fall so deeply in love. He imagined it would be Blake that would find someone and he would always be the loner Uncle to his brother's big family. He had never contemplated that he would find someone first. His feelings for Tori had caught him completely off guard. She was everything to him and now there was possibly something out there that would threaten to take it all away.

"Yeah…" he finally replied, as he took her hand and went inside with her.

"I know what you're thinking," she said suddenly, as they reached the bedroom. He smirked, as he tossed his shirt away.

"Oh really?" he asked playfully. She smirked back, enjoying the view of his bare, muscled chest and torso.

"You're not a mystery to me anymore, Thunder boy," she replied, as she snaked her arms around his waist.

"Nothing…and I repeat nothing is going to happen to me…to us…" she promised. He sighed.

"I wish I could be as confident as you," he replied.

"We're in this together, no matter what," she promised, sealing it with a kiss on his lips, before climbing into bed, her eyes beckoning him. He undid his belt and stripped down to his boxers, before turning out the light and climbing in beside her. Despite his foreboding feelings, as usual, she managed to slowly kiss away his worries. And in the darkness, lost in the throes of their passion, for that night, they became the only thing that mattered or existed…

* * *

_**Early the next morning…**_

Ivan Ooze watched the former crimson thunder ranger and blue wind ranger, as they departed Blue Bay Harbor for Angel Grove. Just as he suspected, they were running to the more experienced rangers for advice and would soon know about him. The crimson one intrigued him and he couldn't put his finger on why. He was powerful…and reminded him of someone, an enemy from long ago…

* * *

_Flashback_

_Ivan cackled evilly, as the Council of Meledon fought him fruitlessly. _

"_You cannot defeat me, wizard fools," Ivan cackled gleefully, as he glared at Dulcea and her brother Zordon._

"_That's where you're wrong, Ooze," a strong male voice rang out. Flaming wings fizzled out, as the crimson phoenix ranger landed before him. Ivan snarled. _

"_Zander…" he hissed. _

"_Your reign of terror ends here. You will not continue to plague this young planet," Zander stated, referring to the sparsely populated planet known as Earth, which was in its infancy._

"_You won't stop me, Phoenix ranger!" Ivan screamed, as he launched purple lightning at the Eltarian warrior. In one palm, crimson thunder crackled to life and in the other, a Phoenix fireball appeared. Zander launched his own attack, meeting Ivan's magic with his own power. Ooze felt himself slipping back and tried in vain to regain control. But the Phoenix Ninjetti was too powerful._

"_Ready the hyper lock chamber!" Zander called to his teammates. Zordon performed the spell and Ivan felt himself being sucked into the chamber._

"_You'll all pay for this…mark my words; I will return and destroy you all!" Ivan screamed, as he was sealed away in the prison where he would remain for six thousand years._

_End Flashback_

* * *

"No…it's not possible," Ivan muttered under his breath, as he stared at the one called Hunter Bradley. The resemblance to Zander was uncanny, but it had to be mere coincidence. The boy was in his twenties and Zander had been dead for thousands of years. A crimson thunder ranger that was the near spitting image of Zander, the legendary Phoenix Ninjetti was one hell of a coincidence though. He would have to keep a close eye on this one. If it was even possible that he was related to Zander, then he would have to be destroyed before his dormant powers were awakened.

"Toxa…" Ivan called.

"Yes Father?" she asked, coming to his side.

"Keep a close eye on this one, Hunter Bradley. He may be more trouble than we originally thought," Ooze ordered.

"I will do as you command," she responded, as she observed the human she was charged with spying on. Her father was right…there was something about this one…

* * *

_**Reefside**_

Tommy Oliver rubbed his still sleep filled eyes, as he parked his jeep outside Hayley's cyberspace. It was only six thirty in the morning and school wouldn't start for another ninety minutes. For that reason, he had sharply protested Hayley's early phone call an hour ago insisting that he meet her at her business. But when she said that it was urgent, as in _Dino_ urgent, he had been jolted awake a little.

"All right Hayley, you better have some coffee waiting for me," Tommy called, as he trudged inside.

"We do," Hayley responded, as she and Cam Watanabe emerged from the back room.

"Oh boy, don't tell me Lothor is back or something?" Tommy asked.

"Not Lothor, but something. The others and I were attacked by these creatures last night. We fought them off with our powers, but we were really no match," Cam explained, as he handed him a cup of coffee.

"Dad and Hunter think we were being tested, because they pulled back so suddenly. We figured we should get some insight and since Tori has recently been acquainted with Adam, I sent her and Hunter to Angel Grove. I came here to show you this," Cam continued, as Hayley put the footage on the monitor. Tommy's eyes instantly hardened and his jaw set, as he clenched his teeth.

"Ivan Ooze…" he muttered.

"You do know what these are then?" Cam asked. Tommy gave him a curt nod.

"So does Adam," Tommy replied.

"How much trouble are we in?" the former green Samurai asked. The former wielder of four colors glanced wearily at him.

"Let's just say that compared to this guy, Lothor and Mesagog were a walk in the park and a day at the beach," Tommy responded, as he took out his cell phone.

"I'll call in sick and then I'll walk you through the whole story," he told them both. Ivan Ooze was not someone he had included in his ranger video diary, as it was a weekend that he and his former teammates would rather forget.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

The crimson street bike sped into the Angel Grove city limits about ten that morning and Hunter slowed to match the posted speed limits

"_Any idea where he lives?" _Hunter spoke to her through their helmet microphones.

"_No, but he said he owned a dojo. Let's stop and look up martial arts schools in a phone book,"_ Tori suggested. Hunter nodded and pulled into a gas station. While he put gas in his bike, Tori went inside for drinks and to find a phone book. She bit her bottom lip, as she looked through the pages. There were way more karate schools in Angel Grove than she ever imagined. She started walking to the counter while still looking and felt herself bump into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized, as she looked up finding a large man in her way.

"No problem, looking for someone?" he asked.

"Yes, he owns a dojo here, but I don't know the name of it," she replied.

"Hey Bulkie, what kind of soda do you want?" a skinny dark haired man called from the back of the store.

"Surprise me," he called back.

"I've lived in Angel Grove all my life. Who's the owner?" the portly man asked.

"Adam Park," she replied.

"Oh we know Adam, went to High School with him," the skinny man said.

"Yep, you'll find him at the Red Frog dojo right on 5th street downtown. He runs it with his old friend Rocky Desantos," the man said. Tori smiled.

"Thank you so much," she said.

"Always glad to help a pretty lady," he said, as they watched a tall, spiky blonde haired man come in and scan the place until his eyes rested on her.

"Thanks again for your help," Tori said, as she met Hunter at the door. Bulk watched them for a moment, wondering why they seemed familiar. He had never seen them before, but something about the air around them reminded him of something he couldn't put his finger on. The two paid for their drinks and gas and hurried back out to the man's motorcycle.

"What is it Bulkie?" Skull asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Bulk replied.

* * *

_**Triforia**_

Explosions rocked the peaceful planet of Triforia, as a destructive invasion came as a sudden and rude awakening that morning. The Phantom ranger fell to his knees and his ruby flickered in and out, his power fading fast.

"You fought valiantly, Phantom Ranger, but you were never a match for me," Xinshing stated, as he drew his blood stained, curved blade back to strike. The master warrior's prized weapon was made of a the sharpest known metal in the galaxy, found in abundance on his home planet of Duronia and heavily mined by the Ooze Empire in use for weapons making. It had even been used in the construction of Ivan's original Ecto-Morphicons. The gleaming chrome colored blade pierced Phantom's armor like butter and blood spattered violently, as the metal swept through him, now protruding out his back.

"NOOOO!" the Gold Ranger cried, as he charged Xin's minions with a wild assault of Gold Rush attacks. Xin seemed unconcerned by the charging Prince of Triforia and gave his blade a sadistic twist, enjoying the sound of the ruby wielding ranger choking on his own blood in his throat. Extracting the blade with a quick pull, Phantom collapsed to the ground, face down, a pool of black blood, slowly turning crimson in color beneath him.

"Murderer!" Trey cried, as he charged the green skinned animal that was destroying his home and had slaughtered his parents in their sleep with a carefully aimed blast at the palace. Xinshing stood unharmed by the Gold Rush attacks and sent a blast of red colored energy at the prince, hitting his staff and causing an explosion of gold energy. Trey was thrown back, as particles of black and gold exploded around him. The Gold power staff lay broken and charred in his hand, his powers destroyed forever. The unmorphed prince attempted to catch his breath, but felt the Ooze Empire's top general grab him by the tunic and force him to his knees.

"Triforia belongs now to the Ooze Empire. Your allies, including Aquitar, Mirinoi, and finally the Earth will follow," Xin stated.

"The Earth rangers, powers or not, cannot be underestimated. They will not stand for what has occurred here today, monster," Trey spat defiantly. Xin chuckled.

"You rangers are so amusing. I have watched your Earth friends for years and believe me, I'm not worried about the likes of Tommy Oliver and his band of hormonal fools that call themselves power rangers," Xin jabbed.

"Then it is you who is the fool. Tommy Oliver will the _least_ of your worries, lapdog," Trey spat, earning him a nasty belt across the mouth. Blood sprayed from his broken nose and he coughed, as the metallic taste burned his throat.

"Lord Ooze has ordered your execution, Gold Ranger. Have you anything else to spout before I take your head?" Xin commanded. Trey smirked, as he recalled his recent visit to the Ninjetti Temple. The Master Warrior of Phaedos had predicted the coming of this darkness and pleaded with the prince to prepare the necessary warning for the rangers of Earth. Fortunately, Trey had listened and his information would soon be in trusted hands. He was going to die…but he was confident that the lost prince of Phaedos, once his destiny was revealed, would avenge them all.

"My death will ignite a war between good and evil. The Chosen warrior will rise and merge with his destiny. Fire will awaken in his soul. Thunder will tremble from his fingertips and the firebird will avenge all the victims taken by evil. The result of the final battle is unknown, but I have confidence in my side with the rangers of Earth standing in your Emperor's way," Trey stated, holding his head high. Xin smirked.

"You're about to die and you choose to spout some prophecy about thunder and fire?" Xin questioned. Trey actually grinned at the villain, the kind of smile that said he knew something that the villain before him didn't. Xinshing didn't care and brought his gleaming blade up.

"Good night sweet prince," Xin hissed, as he beheaded the Gold Ranger, ending his life in the name of Lord Ooze. Triforia belonged to the Ooze Empire now…

* * *

_**Reefside**_

_**Hayley's Cyberspace**_

"He fell into the path of the comet and collided with it. There was a big explosion and he was gone. I…can't even comprehend how he could be back from that," Tommy said, finishing his story of their battle with Ivan Ooze twelve years ago.

"If he is a morphological being as you said and he's made up mostly of this purple ooze substance, then it's very possible that his remnants have been floating through space on the comet debris all this time," Cam speculated. Hayley nodded.

"That's the only explanation. The question is: how did he manage to pull himself together when he was just particles of splattered ooze?" Hayley wondered.

"Even a morphological being needs help pulling that one off," Cam stated. Tommy nodded in agreement.

"Then he's not working alone. Someone brought him back and I haven't got a clue as to who it could be," Tommy replied.

"Zordon's wave either destroyed all the usual suspects or turned them good. Any evil that has come after that has had no connection to those villains or Zordon, excluding Thrax of course. Am I correct?" Hayley asked. Tommy nodded.

"Yeah, Trey witnessed the wave hit Rita and Zedd. They were turned good and they've remained that way as far as I know. Zedd is still around and though he's been all mysterious, he has given up his old ways. As far as I know, Rita is the same way," Tommy responded.

"From my research in trying to keep up with ranger history, I remember hearing that Rita was helping the Mystic Force rangers recently, so I think it's safe to say she has nothing to do with it," Cam stated.

"No, this is someone new…someone we've never heard of," Tommy said, more and more sure about that as the moments passed.

"But…we've seen how well villains work together in the past. Lothor and Mesagog are the prime example. They worked together only to take on both ranger teams, but were waiting to double cross each other the first chance they got," Hayley recognized.

"Your point?" Cam asked. Hayley suppressed an eye roll.

"My point is that why would this person or whoever it is go through what I'm sure was a huge undertaking to bring back someone like Ivan Ooze, knowing full well that once he was back, he would take control of the operation? Evil villains like to run their own show and control everything. None of them have ever been able to give up control to someone more powerful, even if it usually means losing to the power rangers," Hayley said. Cam and Tommy looked at each other, a little surprised. Hayley sighed.

"You don't sit at that monitor and watch all these battles and not pick that up…or apparently you do if you're a man," she quipped, earning a sheepish smirk from Tommy.

"Okay…so if that's true, then the person or people that brought him back have to be followers. Ones that are completely loyal to him and have no problem handing over control to him," Cam concluded. Tommy nodded.

"Seems that way, which means we're still in the dark until he wants us to know more. And Ivan Ooze likes to play games…sadistic games where people get hurt or killed. He puts on this campy front, with quick quips and jokes, but that's all it is…a front to cover up how evil he really is. There's nothing campy about his minions either," Tommy said in a serious tone.

"You got that right," another voice said. The three turned to find a tired looking Conner and Kira trudge in with an African American woman in yellow behind them.

"Tanya?" Tommy asked, as he got up. The songstress smiled and hugged her old teammate.

"How you doing, Dr. Oliver?" she asked, nudging him playfully about the doctor part. Tommy shook his head. His teammates always gave him plenty of ribbing about that since he had barely been able to get to class on time in high school.

"I'd like to say well, but it looks like you guys had a rough night," Tommy said, noticing the bandage under Conner's torn jersey.

"Those things on the screen look like what we saw last night," Kira said.

"They attacked us in Blue Bay Harbor last night too. Tori and Hunter went to Angel Grove to show this to Adam," Cam mentioned.

"So you know what they are?" Conner asked. Tommy nodded with a look of dread on his face.

"It's not good, especially if he's attacked two different teams now. It means that they know who we all are," Tommy said.

"We should start the gathering then. We just need to decide on a place to meet," Hayley added.

"Ninja Ops is still pretty secretive, though I doubt it can keep this guy out if all you said is true," Cam mentioned.

"Dr. O's basement is a little small too," Conner mentioned.

"Ninja Ops is probably our best bet until Adam and I can figure out what kind of condition the old power chamber is in," Tommy replied.

"Well…Adam reactivated Alpha recently. He had to repair the Morphing Grid for the Overdrive rangers. Can he help?" Kira asked. Tommy nodded with a smile.

"Yes and Alpha also might have some insight. He knows most everything Zordon knew and there might be stuff we don't know," Tommy said gravely.

"What do you mean?" Conner asked. Tommy sighed.

"Zordon was our mentor…like a second father to most of us. But it was no secret that he didn't tell us everything," Tommy explained.

"And you were okay with that?" the soccer star questioned. Tommy shrugged.

"Not always, but we all respected him. He was a very wise sage. If he didn't tell us something, then I'm sure he had a good reason," Tommy said.

"Well, let's hope so. What we don't know might get us killed," the former red Dino ranger spouted. Kira elbowed him in the ribs for his blunt and slightly disrespectful comment.

"It's okay Kira, he's right. I need to get in touch with Adam," Tommy said, as they decided to go back to Tommy's house and make the calls from their base of operations in the doctor's basement…


	6. Chapter 5: Fix You

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

AN: Here's chapter 5! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to the prologue and chapter 1 for other important author's notes. Everything is canon up until that episode. After that, it completely AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 5: Fix You

_**And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?**_

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

**Song: Fix You**

**Artist: Coldplay**

* * *

_**Aquitar**_

"What happened then?" Trina asked, as she listened with avid interest to her father's story. It was a nighttime tradition for him to tell her of his exploits as a power ranger on his home planet of Earth, a planet she had visited only once a couple years ago. She didn't remember it, since she had only been two, but she frequently talked with her Grandpa Cranston over the video communication system that Billy had left with his father during the visit.

"Well, after walking through that jungle for hours, we finally found The Great Power. We became rangers again and returned to Earth to save it from Ivan Ooze. Then we had a big party to celebrate and fireworks lit up the skies of Angel Grove for hours," Billy told her.

"I wanna see fireworks," Trina said. Billy smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Maybe next summer, we'll take a trip to see Grandpa. On Earth, there's a holiday where we celebrate our freedom and one of the traditions is lighting up the sky all night with fireworks," Billy told her fondly.

"Can Mommy come?" Trina asked. He smiled.

"Well, Mommy can't last very long on Earth, but if you can convince your Aunt Delphine to let us use the teleportation system for the day, we might be able to swing it," Billy told her. Trina's eyes lit up at the possibility.

"But for now, it's time for little mermaid's like you to go to sleep," he insisted.

"Okay, but when is Mommy coming home?" she asked. He kissed her forehead.

"Mommy's working late in the lab, but she should be home anytime now and she'll come kiss you when she does," he promised. Trina nodded and snuggled down in her bed. Just as Billy was about to leave her room, the whole compound shuddered. The former blue ranger went rigid, as he listened for any commotion. When nothing happened, he relaxed and was about to leave his daughter's room again when a violent jarring of the compound threw him off his feet. He crashed to the floor and his four-year-old shot up in alarm.

"Daddy…what's happening?" she whimpered. Billy leapt to his feet and scooped her up.

"I'm not sure baby," he whispered, as he ran out into their living area and peeked out into the residence hallway. The walls were cracking and he sprinted through the corridor, clutching his daughter to his chest. The entire place was going to come down and he frantically ran to the labs to find Cestria. But nothing he had ever seen during his days as a ranger could have prepared him for the sight that met him. He felt bile in his throat, as he stared at the carnage of body parts and remains of scientists he had worked with on a daily basis. He looked up through the hole and saw the five Aquitian rangers fighting some alien invaders. He couldn't make out much, but the beings were equipped with obvious scuba type suits that were allowing them to battle the water breathing rangers.

"CESTRIA!" Billy cried, as he started to frantically search for his wife in the debris. There was no answer and he called again, trying to keep the panic out of his voice, for Trina was already sobbing against his chest.

"Billy…" he heard a faint whisper and found her pinned beneath a large beam.

"Oh God…" Billy cried, as he knelt beside her.

"Hang on, I'm going to get this off," he told his wife, as he set their tiny four-year-old beside her mother. Cestria smiled at her beautiful little mermaid, as they called her.

"Mommy…" Trina cried, as Cestria brushed her caramel hair from her face. Billy tried to get a good hold on the beam, but as he pulled his hand away, he noticed that it was covered in his wife's blue/green blood. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked under it, finding that it was keeping pressure on the wound in her stomach. If he moved it, she would bleed out in seconds. As he watched his wife gaze at their daughter with tears in her eyes, he realized that she already knew. But he wasn't about to accept it.

"I'll get this beam off you as soon as Cestro gets back and we'll get you into surgery," he told her. Cestria smiled sadly at him.

"You know that I will bleed out before I can be saved and Cestro is already dead, my love," she said, as tears slid down her cheeks.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Billy, you have to listen to me. Aquitar will fall. I was on my way to tell you when we were attacked," she said desperately, as she sought his hand. Billy took her hands and squeezed them tightly; unable to keep the tears at bay any longer.

"Triforia has fallen too. Prince Trey was murdered by the same beings that invade us now. They are a race of unknown warriors in the servitude of the Ooze Empire," Cestria explained. Billy gritted his teeth in anger at that name.

"Ivan Ooze is dead," he insisted.

"I am afraid that he is back and his vengeance has already claimed millions of lives. The Earth will be next and you must join the others," Cestria told him.

"I'm not leaving. The Aquitian rangers will deal with these monsters," Billy hissed, as he looked up at the raging battle. The black battle Borg was in two pieces, there was no sign of the blue and yellow ones, the white was missing an arm, and the red had sustained heavy fire.

"Cestro and Tideus are already dead. The others will not make it much longer," Cestria cried sadly.

"If this enemy is that strong, then the Earth rangers don't stand a chance either. Most don't even have their powers anymore. I'd rather die by your side then run only to die there," Billy whispered, so only she could hear. She shook her head.

"No…save our baby. The Earth rangers will not be so easily defeated. The prophecy says so, but they will need you too, my Wolf," she whispered.

"What prophecy?" he asked, confused by her words.

"You will know soon. Please Billy, save our baby. Leave Aquitar before it is too late. They have no use for a planet full of water. Triforia has only been taken over, but Aquitar will be destroyed…please go…save my baby…" Cestria pleaded. Hot tears poured down Billy's face.

"I…can't leave you…" Billy cried.

"I'm dying my love, there's nothing that can save me. Save Trina before it's too late. I love you," she choked.

"Mommy…" Trina sobbed.

"Be strong for your Daddy, my little one. I love you so much and Mommy will always be with you," Cestria said tiredly.

"Cestria…" Billy sobbed, shaking his head in disbelief that with all his knowledge and abilities that there was nothing he could do to keep the love of his life from slipping away.

"I'll always be in your heart, my Wolf. Promise me something?" she requested.

"Anything," he cried.

"You must go on…you must live, not only for Trina but for yourself. Mourn me, but do not remain alone forever," Cestria requested.

"I'll never love anyone the way I love you," he refused, as he kissed her hand.

"In time you will love again. My years with you were the most cherished times of my life…" Cestria said, as her eyes became glassy, cutting off anymore words. Her body stilled and her last breath left her. Sobbing, Billy gently closed her eyes and scooped his daughter up, as another violent explosion destroyed the last of the battle Borgs. He saw Delphine fall and knew Aurico would follow. Clutching their crying daughter, Billy made his way to the ship bay and after strapping his tiny little girl into a seat, the small ship made an unnoticed escape among the chaos. Sobs overtook father and daughter, as moments later, a bright flash could be seen behind them as their home was engulfed in a fiery explosion. Billy raised the shields, as debris peppered their small craft and he rocked his daughter gently, crying with her for all they had lost…

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

"This is the place," Tori said, as they went in.

"You okay?" Hunter asked. She nodded.

"I just hate being the bearer of bad news," she answered.

"Me too, but if this Adam guy is anything like you described than he and Dr. Oliver will both know what to do," he replied, as they watched from the back of the dojo as Adam conducted his mostly adult class that he taught during the day, while his afternoon classes would be filled with mostly kids. Another man also instructed a group of novice white belts and both former rangers concluded that this was probably Rocky Desantos. They watched, as the students were bowed out and dismissed. Adam noticed them at that point and Rocky curiously joined him.

"Hey Tori, what brings you to Angel Grove?" he asked.

"I wish it was good news, but I'm afraid we have something to show you. The footage is pretty…sensitive," she said. Adam and Rocky exchanged glances.

"Let's go in back. Oh and this is Rocky Desantos. He's one of _us_," Adam said, winking at them. Tori smiled.

"Hunter Bradley," he said introducing himself.

"Nice to finally meet you, Hunter. Tori talked a lot about you," Adam snickered, enjoying her embarrassment. She elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs, as he grinned wolfishly.

"His ego doesn't need any help," she teased.

"Let's go in back and we won't have to talk in code," Rocky suggested. They nodded and followed him in back.

"Whoa, nice tech cave. Cam would love this," Hunter mentioned.

"Thanks. Tori, you remember Alpha," Adam said.

"Of course, he fixed the morphing grid. This is Hunter, former crimson thunder ranger," Tori said. Hunter nodded in acknowledgment.

"Crimson? Does that mean your team had two reds?" Rocky asked. Hunter smirked and nodded.

"It's a wonder that he and Shane are still alive," Tori teased. Hunter nodded.

"We're buds now though. As much as we wish this was a social call, it isn't. Something happened last night in Blue Bay Harbor. Cam took the footage to Reefside to show Dr. Oliver and we came here. We were attacked by these creatures and they just disappeared even though they were winning. I think they were testing us," Hunter explained.

"What kind of creatures are we talking?" Rocky asked.

"Really creepy and nasty," Tori grumbled.

"Yeah, there was purple goo all over our hands and shoes from fighting them," Hunter mentioned. The mood in the room changed immediately and both veteran rangers looked a little paler.

"Like purple ooze?" Adam asked begrudgingly.

"Yeah, do you know what they are?" Tori asked.

"Let's see that battle," Rocky said. Hunter handed the disc to Alpha and he fed it into the slot on the control console, bringing the footage on the screen.

"Shit…" Rocky cursed, as he watched the battle. Adam was silent and pensive while Rocky started pacing like a caged animal.

"What the hell…we killed him! We saw him explode when he hit Ryan's comet!" Rocky exclaimed.

"Calm down Rock," Adam chided.

"Then you have seen these things before," Hunter stated. Adam nodded.

"In 1995, our team faced a morphological being known as Ivan Ooze. At the time, we called on the power of the dinosaurs, but he destroyed our powers like they were nothing," Adam said.

"We had to teleport to a planet many galaxies away called Phaedos to seek the Great Power. The power of the Ninjetti," Rocky said.

"But even then, we were outmatched by his power. He put Rita and Zedd to shame. In our Megazord, we lured him into space and we were down to nine percent power," Adam said, pausing for a moment.

"We thought we were screwed. He had a hold on us and we couldn't break free. The cockpit was half caved in. I was just waiting for him to rip open the crane zord and send us floating off into space. But it just so happened that Ryan's comet was passing by Earth's orbit that weekend, like some damned after school special," Rocky mused, earning a smirk from Adam.

"So…what happened?" Hunter asked impatiently.

"Well none of us guys knew it, but Aisha found some random emergency button. She smashed it and the Megazord kneed Ivan in the balls," Rocky said.

"And he went floating straight into the path of the comet, destroying both. Or so we thought," Adam finished.

"So if he is alive, then why did he attack us and why did he wait twelve years? If he wants revenge, why didn't he go after you guys first?" Tori wondered.

"That's the million dollar question right now," Rocky asked.

"He may be studying all former rangers. He probably knows that we'll eventually all team up against him. You guys also still have your Ninja powers. He may have just wanted to test how much trouble you guys will pose to him," Adam suggested.

"But if you guys are Ninjas like us or Ninjetti, shouldn't you guys still have some of your Ninja powers?" Hunter asked. Rocky and Adam glanced at each other.

"I don't know. We thought all that was destroyed when the power coins were destroyed," Rocky said.

"We drew power from our given animal spirits when we were Ninjetti. Ninjas like your team draw from their respective elements. That could be the only real difference between us. I guess it stands to reason that we may have dormant abilities that we don't even know about," Adam theorized.

"Sensei may have some insight. We can ask him when we get back. But first we need to figure out where to go. If he's testing former rangers, we need to figure out who is next," Hunter said.

"Well, from what Tommy has told me, the Lightspeed team isn't active, but the morphers are still intact. The Wild Force morphers are kept safe in the Animarium. The Galaxy rangers are on Mirinoi, and the space morphers are still active. Other than that, I think most of the powers were destroyed or drained. Ours were only restored temporarily to help the Overdrive rangers," Adam said.

"Including ours and the Dino Thunder rangers. Kira and the other Dino rangers still have their abilities from their Dino gems though," Tori mentioned.

"Well, we know Tommy is still in Reefside, along with Hayley as well. What about the other Dino rangers?" Adam asked.

"Connor and Kira are in L.A. And I think she mentioned that Ethan was at MIT on the east coast. I'm not sure about Trent though," Tori informed.

"All right, Rocky and Aisha will start contacting the rest of the original twelve. I'll call Carlos and he can round up the space team and contact Andros. He'll have to warn the Galaxy rangers on Mirinoi. Tommy can warn his team," Adam listed off, before looking at the couple.

"Are you two up for another mission?" Adam asked. They nodded.

"Whatever you need," Hunter responded.

"Head to Silver Hills. It's about two more hours from here and go to the Silver Guardians headquarters. There you'll ask for Wes Collins and Eric Meyers, red Time Force and Quantum rangers. They'll know how to get in direct contact with the Wild Force rangers in neighboring Turtle Cove," Adam said.

"Before you head out, let's go back to my house. You can fuel up and I'll get you a few supplies for the trip," Rocky suggested. They nodded.

"Thanks," Tori responded.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's spaceship **_

_**In orbit of Earth's Moon**_

Xinshing walked into Ivan's Throne room and bowed respectfully to his risen Emperor and his heir, proudly laying the charred remains of the Golden power staff and burned, useless power ruby.

"Triforia belongs to you now, My Lord. Prince Trey and the Phantom ranger have been executed. I also just received word from my other generals that Aquitar is nothing more than a pile of space dust now. The Aquitians are all dead," Xin reported. Ivan chuckled evilly, as he swirled the wine in his goblet.

"Excellent. Proceed with our plan for Mariner Bay at once," Ivan ordered. Xin bowed deeply.

"It will be done, My Lord," Xin said, as he rose and went to gather his army for the teleportation to Earth.

"Toxa…it's time for the same fate to befall Briarwood as well," he urged. She rose from her Throne and nodded.

"Yes Father, I will take the rest of our army," Toxa said, as she got her mission underway. Meanwhile, Ivan took the lift on his massive cruiser down to the landing bay and observed the construction that was underway on his four new Ecto-Morphicons. Built in the likenesses of a serpent, a vulture, a hornet, and a scorpion, the latter two being remakes of his original designs, they would realize his plans of dominating not only the Earth, but the entire Universe…

* * *

_**Reefside**_

_**Home of Doctor Tommy Oliver**_

"Can't you just call Jason's cell phone?" Hayley asked, as she tapped away on the keys in the Dino cave.

"I could, but you know Jason is FBI. I don't want the government getting wind of any of this yet. They'll find out soon enough, but if he hears his old communicator go off, he'll know to take it alone," Tommy said. Hayley nodded. It was mid-morning already in Quantico so Jason would definitely already be working. She made the contact and they waited several moments. A few years ago, after the red ranger mission, Trini had successfully added a small screen Jason's communicator and the veteran ranger's face soon appeared.

"_I really need to get my wife to change the damned tone on this thing,"_ Jason complained.

"Hey Jase, I know you're at work, but we've got an emergency. Can you talk without someone hearing?" Tommy asked. The first red ranger of Earth sighed.

"_Yeah, I'm alone, but you're not. Wanna tell me who I'm talking to?"_ he asked. Tommy nodded.

"This is Hayley. She was the Dino team's tech advisor a few years ago, this is Connor and Kira, former red and yellow Dino rangers, Cam Watanabe, former Green Samurai ranger from the Ninja team, and you know Tanya," Tommy introduced.

"_Jason Lee Scott, first red ranger,"_ he introduced himself.

"_What's going on?"_ he asked.

"In short, Ivan Ooze is back," Tommy responded, getting right to the point. Jason frowned.

"_No way…didn't you guys watch him get blown up when he hit that comet?"_ Jason asked. Tommy nodded.

"So we thought, but he's pulled himself back together. His goons attacked Connor and Kira last night in L.A. and Cam's team in Blue Bay Harbor," Tommy replied.

"Two of my teammates have gone to Angel Grove to inform Adam Park as well," Cam added. Jason nodded.

"_So what's the plan?"_ he asked, as they heard a sudden beeping.

"We have an encoded incoming transmission from outer space," Hayley interrupted.

"Any idea who it's from?" Tommy asked. She shook her head.

"You don't think it's _him_, do you?" Connor asked, referring to Ivan Ooze.

"Not likely. What does the encryption say?" Tommy asked.

"Blue Wolf to White Falcon," Hayley read.

"Does that mean anything to you?" Hayley asked.

"Billy," Tommy and Jason said simultaneously.

"Patch it through on the 3-way," Tommy requested, as Billy's face appeared in a split screen next to Jason. He looked completely terrible.

"_Billy…what's going on?"_ Jason asked.

"_It's Aquitar…it's gone,"_ Billy responded.

"Gone?" Tommy questioned.

"_Ivan Ooze is back and his army blew it out of the sky. My daughter and I are the only survivors,"_ Billy said, trying to calm the torrent of emotions in his voice.

"Billy…" Tanya gasped quietly.

"_My wife told me before she…died that Triforia has fallen too. Trey is dead and Mirinoi and Earth are next,"_ Billy replied.

"Oh my God," Tanya said, putting her hand over her mouth.

"Ivan's goons have started popping up here on Earth too. We've decided that the Ninja school in Blue Bay Harbor is our best option to start gathering former rangers," Tommy said. Billy nodded mutely.

"_I'll be reaching Earth by tomorrow. Is there an inconspicuous place to set my craft down?"_ Billy asked. Cam nodded.

"Blue Bay Harbor is surrounded by wilderness and our school is hidden in it. Any place around the coordinates I'm sending you should be fine," Cam said, tapping the information into the computer and sending it over the transmission.

"_Thanks…I'll see you guys soon,"_ Billy said, quickly ending the transmission.

"_This just got way worse. Poor Billy,"_ Jason said, his voice cutting through the tension. Tommy sighed.

"Damn that monster," Tommy growled, as he balled his hands into fists. He remembered fighting alongside the humble Aquitian rangers who had come to their aid in their time of need, despite risking their health and lives.

"_I'll take an emergency leave of absence and see that Trini does too. Hopefully, we can make it to Blue Bay Harbor. I'll get us on a direct flight out there and hopefully we can be there late tonight,"_ Jason decided. Tommy nodded.

"_In the meantime, I'll contact Zack and Kimberly too,"_ Jason added.

"What about Kat? I have no idea how to get a hold of her. Do you Tanya?" Tommy asked. She shook her head.

"No, we lost contact years ago," Tanya replied sadly. Jason sighed and ran a hand through his closely cropped brown hair.

"_Is this connection absolutely secure?"_ he asked.

"Yes," Hayley replied.

"_I know where Kat is and strangely enough, it's in Blue Bay Harbor right now. But that information is classified and cannot go any further,"_ Jason stressed.

"Classified?" Tommy questioned in confusion.

"_I'll explain later, but she's…in witness protection with her son,"_ Jason informed. Tommy's and Tanya's eyes widened.

"Witness protection?!" Tommy exclaimed. Jason sighed.

"_It's a long story and I'll tell you in person later. Let's just say that her soon to be ex-husband is a very dangerous man,"_ Jason said, leaving it at that for now. Tommy and Tanya were both stunned.

"All right, we'll see you in soon. Call me when you land at the airport," Tommy said. Jason nodded.

"_Will do bro and May the power protect us all,"_ Jason said somberly, as the transmission winked out. Tommy blew out a shaky breath and turned to the three younger former rangers and Hayley.

"All right, let's give Tori and Hunter a couple hours to make contact with Adam and then we'll call him," Tommy said.

"What now?" Kira asked. Tommy looked up at the pair.

"You two need to return to Los Angeles and make arrangements to get time away. Then pack your stuff and head to Blue Bay Harbor," Tommy said. Kira nodded. She was in between albums right now and didn't have a lot of media appearances or concerts currently.

"I'll cancel what few interviews and appearances you have in the next few weeks," Tanya assured her.

"Conner…I know it's the middle of the season, but do you think you can take leave?" he asked the red ranger, who had been silent since Billy's shocking revelation.

"That asshole sent his goons after Kira…after us last night and now he's killed billions of people on another planet. There's no place I need to be except finding a way to kill this bastard. The coach can go to hell or replace me if he has a problem with it. I don't care," Conner spat, as he gripped Kira's hand tightly. There was something the former red was never short on and that was passion. Passion for his sport was just one facet, but Conner's passion and love for Kira was another, along with his passion for saving lives as a ranger. When Ivan Ooze killed his first innocent person and attacked Kira, it became Conner McKnight's mission to stop him. Tommy nodded, proud of Conner's conviction and instant leadership. He remembered a time when the red Dino ranger had nearly quit the team, because it was interfering with his soccer ambitions. But that Conner had long since matured. His growth and change from the once conceded jock to the strong leader he was now was astounding at times. They were going to need a lot of red ranger leadership like this in the days ahead, of that he was certain…


	7. Chapter 6: Iridescent

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used. I'm just borrowing to set the tone of the chapter.

AN: Here's chapter 6! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything after that episode is AU.

AN 3: Warning, this chapter is rated a strong T. Nothing super graphic, but adult situations ahead. Mentions and illusions to sex and mentions of death. This Power Ranger story isn't for kids. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 6: Iridescent

_**You were standing in the wake of devastation  
And you were waiting on the edge of the unknown  
And with the cataclysm raining down  
Insides crying "Save me now"  
You were there, impossibly alone**_

_**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?**_  
_**You build up hope, but failure's all you've known**_  
_**Remember all the sadness and frustration**_  
_**And let it go. Let it go**_

_**Song: Iridescent**_

_**Artist: Linkin Park**_

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

_**Home of Rocky and Aisha Desantos**_

After closing the dojo with an emergency sign up citing a family emergency, Hunter and Tori followed Adam and Rocky back to the Desantos house. Aisha had already been called and left the vet clinic that she owned early, picking up their daughter from daycare on the way.

"Daddy!" Olivia Ashala Desantos called, as she ran to him as fast as her little five-year-old legs would carry her. Rocky smiled and scooped her up, before kissing his wife tenderly.

"He's really back?" the pretty African-American woman asked.

"Afraid so 'Sha," Rocky said, as the woman turned and smiled invitingly to them.

"This is Hunter Bradley and Tori Hanson, crimson thunder and blue wind ninja rangers," he said, as Aisha shook their hands.

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Aisha Desantos, second yellow Ranger," she replied. Hunter nodded.

"Good to meet you," he greeted.

"Nice to meet you," Tori repeated.

"Let's go inside and make some sandwiches. Sounds like you guys have a trip ahead of you and we have phone calls to make," Aisha said. They agreed and went inside the very nice and spacious two-story home.

* * *

Olivia swung her legs, as she sat on the counter, while her mother made sandwiches, and she chatted animatedly with Tori, who had just become her new best friend. Tori chatted back, adoring her as much as Olivia seemed to instantly adore Tori. The blue water ninja was glad that there was still innocence like this in their sometimes very ugly world. She did what she did to protect that innocence.

Olivia's black hair was up I pigtails adorned with yellow ribbons, her skin was a beautiful caramel color and she had obviously inherited her father's smile. Her pigtails bounced as she giggled.

"She's beautiful," Tori complimented. Aisha smiled.

"Thank you. She's Daddy's little princess. Rocky denies her nothing," Aisha said, both amusement and disdain in her voice. Tori smiled and wondered if she and Hunter would have children someday. She knew he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They had talked in sensual whispers the previous night after making love. The unexpected battle had brought forth the need to express their love both physically and verbally. She knew what he feared now, even though she insisted that she could take care of herself. He had lost everyone he cared about, namely his parents at a very young age. Blake leaving to tour with Factory Blue had hit him harder than anyone save for her knew. And now that evil had returned, possibly to hunt every living ranger, former or not, he was afraid of losing her. She remembered his tangible fear from the night before.

* * *

"_Hunter!" she cried out in ecstasy, as they made love. He captured her lips in a searing kiss and she gladly welcomed his tongue into her mouth. _

"_I love you," Tori whispered in his ear. He collapsed into her waiting arms and she kissed him tenderly. _

"_I love you too," he finally managed to say. She smiled brilliantly, but noticed his pensive look, as he rolled onto his back. She propped herself up on his chest and his arm slid around her waist. _

"_What's bothering you?" she asked, as she kissed his bare chest and idly traced the lines of definition over his muscled torso. _

"_I just thought the danger was behind us. I'm happier than I ever thought I could be and now I could lose you," he said dejectedly. _

"_You are not going to lose me," she insisted. _

"_You fought those things too, Tor. They made Lothor look like a chump and I have a feeling they were just the lackeys," He responded. _

"_That doesn't mean you're going to lose me," she said. _

"_The fates or whatever is out there like to screw with me," Hunter said darkly. Tori sat up and covered her unclothed body with the sheet. _

"_No one is going to take me away from you, Hunter Bradley. You're holding on way too tightly for that to happen. Not to mention that I'm not a pushover in a fight. I'm not going to let anyone take me away or you away," she replied. _

"_I wouldn't survive losing you, Tor. You're everything to me," he confessed, as he sat up behind her, pressing his bare, sculpted chest against her naked back. Sensually, he kissed her shoulder, before moving open mouthed kisses to her slender neck. Tori shivered in delight, as his hands slid up her slender, toned abdomen. _

"_Hunter…" she moaned, before his lips were on hers, sparking the passion between them again. _

* * *

"Thinking about someone?" Aisha asked knowingly. Tori blushed, as she had been caught staring at the tall, handsome blonde in the living room.

"Yeah, I just thought all this was finally over," Tori sighed.

"You and me both, girl. I haven't been a ranger for fourteen years and now this. I'm married to a red and you're dating one, which means they'll both be out in front, leading the attack. Ivan Ooze was our toughest battle, like going from the little league to pros in one big leap. I'd be lying to you if I told you that I wasn't scared," Aisha said quietly, as she stroked her daughter's hair. Tori looked at Olivia and then back at Aisha, before squeezing the former yellow ranger's hand.

"We'll all do what we have to in order to protect what's important," Tori assured her. Aisha smiled and lifted her daughter off the counter.

"Why don't you help Tori take some sandwiches to your daddy, Uncle Adam, and Hunter," Aisha told her, giving her a small plate, while Tori took a bigger one.

"Go on munchkin, I'll be in soon," Aisha prodded. Tori smiled and watched her carefully carry the tray in.

"Mommy said to bring these," Olivia announced, as she and Tori set the plates down.

"Thanks princess," Rocky told her, kissing her on the head. Tori sat next to Hunter, as they ate quickly and plans were drawn out. Soon, they were at the door.

"Be careful," Aisha pleaded to their two new young friends. Tori nodded.

"We will and we'll call when we make contact with Wes and Eric," Tori promised, they shared a hug. Olivia looked at her expectantly and Tori knelt down to hug her. The little girl looked shyly up at Hunter, who smiled gently at her.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Olivia whispered in Tori's ear though everyone could hear. Tori giggled.

"Yes," she said back in a loud whisper.

"He's really handsome," Olivia whispered again. Tori giggled and the others chuckled, enjoying Hunter's embarrassment

"I know," she replied with a giggle, before she and Hunter walked out the door hand in hand. Once they were on his bike and their helmets were secure, Hunter revved the engine and Tori held on tightly, as they headed out.

* * *

_**Mariner Bay**_

The day had started out as any ordinary weekday in the Mariner Bay. Dana and Carter Grayson left their home for their busy careers, hers as a doctor and his as a firefighter. But that day, at eleven twenty three in the morning, would be a date and time etched into the memories of every Mariner Bay citizen who managed to survive.

Carter Grayson limped as fast as he could, carrying two crying children out of the burning building. He set them down, preparing to go back in, as his wife ran an emergency triage center nearby. The hospital was one of the first hit buildings and Dana had only made it out thanks to her ranger powers. They were under attack again and naturally, they morphed to combat the new evil. But these green skinned warriors were like nothing they had ever fought before, making the demons they had faced seven years ago seem like nothing. These beings had come out of nowhere and demanded nothing. There was none of the usual bravado that evil villains came spouting, daring the rangers to face them and boasting that they would destroy them. There was none of that this time. These aliens just came and left destruction in their wake. Buildings crumbled instantly with one energy blast that the creatures seemed to wield not from a weapon or magic, but simply from their hands. Somehow, they gathered energy from their very life force and used it without draining their energy. And when they weren't blasting things, they proved that they were skilled fighters. They immediately morphed when the chaos erupted, but it had not mattered. Fighting these things, even morphed, still meant certain defeat. They had learned that lesson hard early on when Chad was hit head on with a blast that tore through his ranger armor and left with a gaping hole in his midsection. He died moments later in the arms of his friends. Moments later, their powers had failed when the Aqua base was destroyed, taking the lives of Joel, Angela, Captain Mitchell, and hundreds of others.

As Carter stumbled back toward the burning building, it exploded, blowing him to the ground. There were still a lot of people inside, but now they were lost, senselessly murdered for nothing. Carter let out a strangled yell, representing the pain and loss they had experienced in just a few hours. It was now a mission of survival and that meant those they had saved were their concern now.

"We need to move everyone to the underground bunker beneath the firehouse," Carter ordered to his remaining teammates.

"But there are more people…" Dana started to protest.

"There's no time Dana! We're all dead if we don't get those we can to the bunker," Carter said, instantly sorry for snapping at his wife, who hadn't had time to mourn her father yet.

"Carter's right. This is a recovery mission now. There are other rangers out there and they'll come for us," Ryan said, aiding the red ranger in his painful decision.

"How can you be sure?" Kelsey asked, as she held a small whimpering child in her arms.

"Because no ranger, current or former, will take this attack lightly. This is war," Carter said gravely, as they began moving those survivors in the triage center to their destination, all the while praying that they would not be discovered.

* * *

_**Briarwood**_

Nick stared on in horror, as the magical forest around Briarwood burned like a raging inferno. His parents were overseas, exploring the world together and making up for lost time. After traveling across most of the United States with them, he decided to opt out of the overseas trip, because he missed his friends. Okay, so he missed Madison the most. So with his parent's blessings and promises that they would see him soon, he made his way back to California to surprise them. But this was what met him upon his return.

The power was gone now and…all the magical creatures. And Claire…poor Claire never had a chance. Nothing he had experienced or witnessed during his ranger days could have prepared him for this. His stomach twisted and he swallowed the bile in his throat. The city was leveled and he knew the chance of finding his friends alive was slim.

"_Madison…I should have never left you," _he nearly sobbed in anguish, but pushed it away.

Without wasting another minute, he ran through the razed city and found his friends exactly where he knew they would be if alive. Outside the crumbled Rockporium, the four rangers sat defeated, battered and dirty, with minor injuries and hopeless expressions.

"Nick…" Madison squeaked, as her turned her dirty, tearstained face up at him.

"Maddie…" he croaked, as he knelt down beside her.

"We failed…we couldn't stop this," Maddie cried into his chest, as he held her.

"I'm sorry, I should have never left," he whispered.

"You're damn right you shouldn't have," Vida spat, glaring at him with hard, tear-filled eyes.

"Stop it V, he couldn't have stopped any of this either," Chip argued.

"None of us could. Whatever these green guys are, they're way out of our league," Xander chimed in.

"Yeah and we just ran away like cowards!" Vida spat, as the tears finally started coming. She allowed Chip to hug her tightly and grateful when he started to cry with her.

"No, you didn't run away, V. You did what you had to in order to survive so we can fight again another day," Nick told them quietly.

"What do we do now?" Maddie sniffed, as she lifted her head from his chest.

"If these things are gone, we find survivors and we help them anyway we can," Nick said.

"Nick is right. There's others out there…other rangers way more experienced than we are. They'll do something about this," Xander assured her, trying to employ his usual lighthearted charm, though he was having trouble mustering his upbeat façade.

"Like the ones you just worked with?" Chip asked. Xander nodded.

"Them and so many more, mates. I think this is just the beginning," Xander replied. Nick nodded. He knew there was frightening truth in that statement…

* * *

_**Los Angeles**_

Thanks to Tanya's connections, she had herself, Kira, and Conner on a private jet back to L.A. within an hour. It took nearly no time at all and they would be right back on the plane in just a few hours to return to Blue Bay Harbor.

Kira was at their apartment packing and he was talking to his coach, which wasn't going well at all.

"I don't believe this, McKnight. It's the middle of the season!" Coach Stevens yelled. Conner sighed.

"I know coach, but I need to be there for my family. Believe me, if I thought I wasn't needed, then I wouldn't be asking for an emergency leave of absence," Conner insisted.

"Just what kind of bloody emergency is this?" Stevens demanded. Conner sighed.

"_Oh nothing much, just an immensely evil being that plans to conquer the planet and a group of former, powerless rangers are all that stands between him and the annihilation of the human race. Nope, no emergency there," _Conner ranted in his head, fighting the urge to pace like a caged animal.

"I'd rather not go into detail, but believe me, I have to go. You know that I'm dedicated enough to my career that I wouldn't just up and leave if the situation wasn't dire," Conner argued.

"I'm not sure that I do," the coach retorted. Conner blanched.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" the red Dino ranger questioned.

"It means that I recall hearing about how you did this back in high school. You blew two chances then when a scout tried to recruit you. The only reason you got another chance later was that you're so damn good. But you _can_ be replaced, McKnight," the coach spat. Conner steeled his gaze on the older man and clenched his teeth.

"So that's it? I take leave and you're going to kick me off the team?" Conner questioned. The coach shrugged.

"I won't have a choice. And sure, the teams will look at you again in next year's draft, but some coaches will be reluctant to take on a player that's known to abandon the sport on any whim," the coach threatened. Conner exhaled a strangled breath, trying to keep his cool. He wanted to scream at the coach that if he didn't do this that there might not be an Earth left soon, much less a game. Conner sighed, as the coach spoke again.

"I'm sure your family will understand that you can't just leave," the coach reasoned.

"So, you're saying that I need to choose between the team and my family?" Conner asked.

"If you want to put it that way, McKnight, but don't make me out to be the villain here. The season's over in a few weeks. I'm sure your family will be fine without you until then," the coach suggested.

"Then I've made my choice," Conner stated calmly. The coach smiled and stood up, ready to congratulate his star player on seeing things his way. But when Conner handed him his security badge and tossed him the key to his locker in the locker room, the coach's face was stricken with shock. It remained that way, as his most talented player walked out of his office without looking back.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Zedd appeared on Phaedos and immediately sensing his presence, Dulcea emerged from her Temple.

"The Ninjetti spirits are restless. Something has happened, hasn't it?" Dulcea questioned. Zedd sighed.

"Ivan Ooze has returned," Zedd announced.

"That's impossible!" she refuted.

"I wish it was, but it seems his daughter and top General found a way to bring him back. Now he's seeking revenge. The Gold and Phantom Rangers are dead, Triforia has fallen, Aquitar has been destroyed, and he has ravaged two former ranger cities on Earth," Zedd listed, but put his hand up, as she prepared to ask him if it was Blue Bay Harbor.

"He destroyed Mariner Bay and Briarwood. The Lightspeed morphers had no connection to the morphing grid, so their repair will not be so easily or quickly done. And I believe he wanted to take out the morphers for the ranger team that draws off magic too," Zedd told her, as she surveyed the two desolate cities through her viewing pond.

"That monster," she hissed under her breath.

"He is intrigued by the Ninja ranger's powers over the elements and seeking to toy with the ones who destroyed him in the first place. This has drawn Tommy's Dino rangers into the mess as well," Zedd told her gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Then he has seen Hunter?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'm afraid so," Zedd replied.

"Does he suspect?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if he suspects some kind of connection. A crimson thunder ranger that bores such a resemblance to Zander, his mortal enemy next to your brother, will strike him as too coincidental," Zedd told her.

"Then it's time," Dulcea replied. Zedd nodded.

"Only the combined powers of the Ninjetti and the Phoenix can stop him for good," Dulcea said.

"You want me to bring them all?" Zedd asked. She nodded.

"They are the ones the scrolls speak of. Other former rangers will be there for support, but the prophecy says that twenty will stand against evil in the final battle and will follow the one with the firebird spirit to save their home. The scroll will reveal those twenty I speak of," Dulcea said. Zedd nodded.

"I will go to Blue Bay Harbor at once to begin that gathering, which may already be underway," Zedd replied. Dulcea nodded gratefully.

"He might not take any of this very well at first, especially when he finds out he's related to me," Zedd mentioned. Dulcea nodded.

"I know, but I'm confident that you can convince him that what you speak is true. He can be hotheaded like his father, but I believe he has a young woman standing beside him to keep him in check," Dulcea mused with a smile. Zedd nodded.

"There's a strong woman behind all hot headed ranger males, most of the reds especially. And yes, my brother was a hothead and you'll be happy to know that your son is the same," Zedd told her with an eye roll. Dulcea smiled.

"I kept him in line and I'm sure the dolphin spirit will do the same for my son," Dulcea said confidently. Zedd chuckled.

"Yes, my nephew is whipped if that's what you're looking for," Zedd teased, as he used his powers and disappeared, returning to Earth to change his nephew's life and the lives of nineteen other former rangers forever…

* * *

_**Reefside**_

_**Home of Dr. Tommy Oliver**_

"No, I understand. You, Ashley and Zhane need to protect KO-35 after what happened to Triforia and Aquitar," Tommy said, as he spoke with Andros over the comm system in the Dino cave.

"_I wish there was more I could do. I am regretting accepting T.J, Cassie, and Carlos' resignations. They could help if they still had their morphers," _Andros replied regrettably.

"No one can blame them for wanting to move on completely. Most of us thought that time in our lives was finally passed, including me. With what just happened in Mariner Bay and Briarwood, you better stay on KO-35 and the galaxy rangers shouldn't risk leaving Mirinoi unprotected," Tommy confirmed. He wasn't really sure what any of them could do anyway. The Lightspeed powers might as well have been non-existent against this enemy. He doubted the space morphers or quasar sabers would offer much resistance.

"_Still, Ash and I will contact them and let them know what's going on after I contact the galaxy rangers. May the power protect us all," _Andros said, as the comm went dark. Tommy sighed and grabbed his packed duffle bag. It was time to leave for Blue Bay Harbor. As he tossed it into the backseat of his jeep, he thought about that little saying that Zordon had coined so long ago.

_May the Power Protect You_

"We could use a little of that power right now, Zordon," Tommy mumbled to himself, as he started the engine and pulled out of his driveway, leaving his house behind for the open road.


	8. Chapter 7: Hope Is So Far Away

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

AN: Here's chapter 7! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything after that episode is AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 7: Hope Is So Far Away

_Memories that Fade_

_Colors that run_

_Shadows that fall upon us all_

_Imagine no more war_

_Something we all crave for_

_Hope_

_Hope is so far away_

_Yet with each passing day, we want it so much more_

_I can scream but will anyone listen?_

_I can run but is anyone coming?_

_Hope is close but it's still so distant_

_It's in our hands just to make it happen_

_**Song: Hope Is So Far Away**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

Two hours later, at about two in the afternoon, Hunter and Tori sped past the city limits sign that read Silver Hills. Tori guided Hunter from the directions they had gotten at their last stop to the Silver Guardians headquarters. After parking, they walked hand in hand toward the building, but they were promptly stopped by two men wearing uniforms and caps with the Silver Guardians logo on it.

"Civilians aren't allowed past this point," one of them said sternly.

"We're here to see Wes Collins and Eric Meyers," Tori said politely.

"Commander Collins and Commander Meyers are very busy men. You'll need to schedule an appointment and come back later," the other replied.

"It's really important that we see them now," Hunter insisted.

"And it's like I told the young lady. Come back when you have an appointment. Leave now or we'll have to escort you from the grounds," the first one said, as he grabbed Tori's arm.

"Let go of me," she cried, surprising him by twisting his arm and releasing herself with ease. He foolishly made a grab for her again, but Hunter was in his face this time.

"Trust me dude, you don't want to touch her again if you value your health," he threatened.

"Threatening an officer can get you thirty days in jail," the officer threatened back. But Hunter only smirked.

"You'll have to catch us first," Hunter said. They were preparing to Ninja streak when a voice called out to the officers. They immediately stood at attention and saluted.

"At ease men," Wes Collins ordered.

"Sir, these trespassers claim they need to speak with you and Commander Meyers," the officer reported.

"You two must be Hunter Bradley and Tori Hanson," Wes said. The pair looked at each other in surprise. Another dark haired, smirking man joined him.

"Dr. Oliver called us. Follow us," Eric said.

"Sorry about the welcoming committee," Wes said.

"I still think we should have seen what you two got. It would have been fun to see those two dimwits get their asses kicked," Eric mused.

"Tori could have easily taken them both by herself, but I like to have fun too," Hunter said with a smirk.

"Wes Collins," he introduced, shaking their hands.

"Eric Meyers," Eric said.

"I'm a little confused. Adam thought it would be best not to call anyone that was in the state. They were only going to make calls to those not easily reachable in person," Tori said. Wes and Eric exchanged a nervous glance.

"What's going on?" Hunter asked, picking up on it right away.

"Things have changed. Mariner Bay has been destroyed," Wes said gravely.

"What?!" Tori exclaimed.

"And the Lightspeed rangers?" Hunter asked.

"Chad and Joel, their blue and green rangers, were killed, along with their technical advisor, Angela Fairweather, and head of the aqua base, Captain Mitchell. Despite their grief, the other four remaining rangers are leading the rescue efforts. Thousands are dead and hundreds more are injured or missing," Eric said. Hunter gripped Tori's hand, as things suddenly took a new, frightening direction.

"We want to help," Hunter said. The two men nodded.

"We have a vehicle waiting to take us. We'll show you what footage we have on the way. It won't be easy to watch," Wes warned. Suddenly, they heard an odd squawking and looked up, only to see giant black and purple birds flying toward them.

"Oh no, those are the birds Rocky told us about," Tori said.

"Look out!" Hunter called, as two of the birds dived on Wes and Eric, toppling them to the ground. Hunter and Tori ducked low to the ground, as two more swooped over them.

"If you can still morph, then do it!" Hunter called.

"Time for Time Force!" Wes called.

"Quantum power!" Eric called, as they morphed into their respective ranger uniforms. Hunter and Tori stood up back to back and in Ninja fashion, pulled away their civilian clothes to reveal their Ninja uniforms, both black and trimmed in crimson and light blue respectively. The dozens of birds swarmed around them and were holding up fairly well, even against Wes and Eric's weapons. The Silver Guardians' weapons were only blowing them back, but they kept coming.

"Power of water!" Tori called, as water swirled around her and blew back the beaked creatures.

"Power of Thunder!" Hunter called, as he hit two dead on with a crackling orb of energy. One exploded and feathers flew everywhere. Hunter smirked.

"They don't like thunder," he said, as two more crackling orbs of energy appeared in his palms. Tori smiled at him, as two more exploded.

"I guess it makes sense that thunder is a weakness," Tori said, as she suddenly felt something sharp pierce her skin on both shoulders. She screamed, as she realized it was the talons of one of the Tengu warriors.

"HUNTER!" she cried, as he started lifting her off the ground.

"TORI!" he cried, as he Ninja streaked toward her and grabbed her legs. Tori shot water in its face and it dropped them both. With that, the creatures peculiarly disappeared.

"What the hell was that about?" Eric complained, as he demorphed. Wes followed suit, as Hunter examined the scratches on her shoulders.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"There's first aid in the suburban. We need to make a quick stop in Turtle Cove and then we'll be on our way to Mariner Bay," Eric said. They nodded and followed. After wheeling Hunter's bike into a trailer Eric hitched to the black suburban, they got in and while Wes drove, Eric fiddled with the DVD player, while Hunter used the items in the first aid kit to treat Tori's scratches, ignoring her protests that she was fine.

"Oww…stupid birds," Tori grumbled, as the antiseptic stung. Hunter smirked at her antics.

"Hold still and this won't take long. You're not getting out this," Hunter chided. She huffed.

"Oh, like you're always the model patient," she retorted. His smirk widened.

"Touché," he responded, as he finished with the bandages and Eric paused the footage, while Wes merged onto the interstate. He played the footage and Eric had been right. It was hard to watch, which meant it would be even harder to see in person. Tori gripped Hunter's hand, as buildings fell, the people screaming in horror and pain echoed in their ears, and the blue Light speed ranger made the ultimate sacrifice. Hunter swallowed the lump in his throat and silently vowed that he wouldn't lose anymore rangers, least of all his own teammates, no matter what he had to do. He glanced down, seeing Tori trying with a great amount of effort not to let the tears in her eyes fall. She would cry, but not now. She would cry when they were alone in the security of his arms.

Eric froze the screen on a green skinned man with the coldest black eyes any of them had ever seen.

"We don't know who this guy is, but he's definitely the General of this merry band of green freaks," Eric stated, as Hunter made a note to memorize this one. He felt his element stirring in his blood, churning like it always did when he felt a serious battle coming on. He swallowed, his mouth feeling dry all the sudden and he felt hot all over. There was a roaring in his ears and his blood coursed like fire through his veins, as he stared into evil.

"Babe?" Tori's voice cut through the roaring and he was suddenly back to normal.

"Huh?" he asked.

"You were miles away," she said, putting the back of her hand to his flushed face.

"You're burning up," she added, recoiling her hand. He exhaled a shaky breath.

"I'm fine…I'd just like to get a piece of that guy," he covered, not really sure what had just happened. Tori gave him a questioning look and he flashed her one of his lazy smiles in reassurance.

"I'm fine…you know how I get when I feel a battle coming on and this guy needs to pay," Hunter stated.

"And he will when we face him," Eric tossed in, confident that he and Wes could take the alien trash. Tori didn't look so sure.

"Maybe, but I don't think the Lightspeed rangers are slouches. These guys seem like they're in another league," Tori replied.

"Maybe, but they were caught off guard. We'll be ready now," Wes affirmed. She relaxed a little, as Hunter laced his fingers with hers. Wes veered right, taking the Turtle Cove exit and reminded Hunter of an early question.

"So what's in Turtle Cove?" he asked.

"Wild Force," Eric replied simply.

* * *

_**Reefside**_

Conner answered his phone, as Tanya drove them back to the private air field where the plane waited to take them back to Blue Bay Harbor. It was three in the afternoon now and evening on the east coast. He had left a message for Ethan earlier and was finally getting a return call.

"Hello," he answered.

"_Dude…don't you have a game tonight? I thought I'd get your voicemail," _the former Tricera ranger said.

"Something way more important has come up. Have you heard anything about what happened today in Mariner Bay?" Conner asked.

"_I've been in class most of the day, but it's all over the internet. That was some serious quake,"_ Ethan responded.

"Quake? Is that what they're calling it?" Conner asked, as he exchanged a glance with Kira and saw Tanya look back at them through the rear view mirror.

"_Uh yeah dude, what else could cause that kind of destruction,"_ Ethan replied.

"Try a monster attack," Conner hissed.

"_Bro, you're not serious,"_ Ethan scoffed.

"Trust me Eth, the government might be trying to cover it up to keep people from panicking, but we've got a situation on our hands and we need you on the first plane to Blue Bay Harbor," Conner said in what Ethan would call his red ranger voice.

"_Conner, I have finals all week. I can't leave right now. And how did you get out in the middle of the season?" _Ethan asked.

"Ethan, you know that I wouldn't leave in the middle of the season unless the situation is dire. I don't want to say much more over the phone since I doubt this is secure, but trust me, you need to get back to this coast as soon as possible," Conner urged. He heard Ethan blow out a shaky breath.

"_All right, I'll see what I can do and I'll call you tomorrow," _Ethan said, as they said goodbye and Conner hung up. Kira gave him slight smile and slid her hand into his. He smiled back and caught Tanya's eye.

"How long do you think they can pass off what happened in Mariner Bay as a quake?" Conner asked. Tanya shook her head.

"I'm not sure. They can probably fool anyone that hasn't seen the sight for themselves for a while, but Mariner Bay's survivors know what's happened and I'm sure the Internet is already swarming with rumors by now," Tanya replied. Conner's phone rang again and he looked at the caller id, deciding to let it go to voicemail.

"You're not going to answer that?" Kira asked.

"It's my Dad. I'm sure my parents have heard about the coach kicking me off the team by now. I'm really not ready for that conversation," he replied, as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"How do you think your parents would react if they knew the real reason?" Tanya asked.

"What? You mean that I used to be a Power Ranger?" Conner questioned. Tanya nodded and he shrugged.

"I don't know, I've never really thought about it. I always thought I'd never be able to tell them," Conner responded.

"Some of us have told our parents, years after we retired from being rangers. Others have chosen not to in fear of less than stellar reactions," Tanya informed.

"Did you tell yours?" Kira asked. Tanya nodded.

"My parents are archeologists and were presumed dead in a cave in when I was young. But I never believed they were gone and thanks to being a ranger, Zordon allowed me to search the dig site. I found them alive and told them everything. I knew my parents would be proud of me," Tanya explained.

"Have other former rangers told their parents?" Conner asked.

"Well, I can only speak for my team, but it got a little hard for Tommy to hide after a while," Tanya said with a chuckle.

"And it kind of came up in the conversation when Billy told his dad he was staying on another planet to live. But Rocky's mom is really overprotective and was stressed out enough trying to raise all his brothers and sisters by herself so he never told her. And Adam still hasn't and refuses to tell his dad till this day," Tanya explained.

"Why?" Kira asked.

"Because Adam's dad is a cop and he's not very fond of the power rangers," Tanya replied.

"He doesn't like the power rangers?" Conner asked, floored at such a possibility. Though he supposed he was being naïve in thinking that.

"But without the power rangers, Earth would have been conquered long ago," Kira reasoned.

"He realizes that and he is grateful that the rangers have always taken care of whatever evil that has faced them. But he doesn't think they should be allowed to conceal their identities and should abide by the same rules and codes that police officials do. He doesn't think they should be above the law, at least that's how he sees it. The numerous times rangers have been turned evil only fuels his argument," Tanya explained.

"Wow…I guess I never thought there are actually people out there that have a problem with the power rangers," Conner replied. Tanya sighed.

"Believe me Conner, there are more of them than you think. I probably shouldn't be telling you all this, but there are even many that believe the rangers are the reason so many evils have flocked to Earth in the first place," Tanya said.

"Oh please, that's complete garbage!" Conner scoffed.

"Does Dr. O know all this?" Kira asked. Tanya nodded.

"He's the expert on it, besides Adam. They keep up on the chatter in case the occasion ever comes that we have to actively cooperate with the local or federal governments," Tanya responded.

"Let's hope they just let us handle it," Kira said, trying to be optimistic.

"I hope so too Kira, but with what happened in Mariner Bay, they may try to stick their noses into ranger business even more," Tanya warned. Silence left them to ponder their thoughts after that and Connor tried to imagine how his parents would react to knowing that he had been a ranger. His twin lived in Blue Bay Harbor with his dad while his mom was still in Reefside. Eric would soon know since he attended the Wind Ninja Academy and Conner decided that first; he would break the news to Eric before making a decision about telling his parents.

* * *

_**San Diego**_

Blake Bradley threw off his riding goggles and helmet, as he finished his practice runs and cut the engine on his bike.

"Were you just taking a light cruise out there or actually trying to post your slowest time?" one of his teammates, Brian, asked. Blake shook his head.

"Guess I'm a little distracted today," Blake responded.

"Yeah, we all heard the shouting match you were having with your brother over video chat last night," Brian informed. Blake shrugged.

"I overreacted, but it still makes me wonder what could have been," Blake replied.

"You mean with this girl, Tori?" he prodded.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. She's happy with my brother and I think my brother is happy too. And for Hunter, that's sayin' something. I left four years ago and me thinking that she was just going to wait for me until I decided I wanted to be with her was a little egotistical I guess," Blake reasoned.

"Boy, I'll say. But you're the amazing Blake Bradley. I guess we should be used to your ego tripping," Brian teased, nudging his arm. Blake nodded, taking it in stride.

"Very funny…suppose I deserve that," Blake responded.

"Buck up man, there's plenty of fish in the sea. We're going out to get a beer. You comin'?" he asked. Blake opened his mouth to say yes when he heard a sound he hadn't heard since Lothor's return. He dug into his bag and stared at the communicator.

"Hello? You okay man?" Brian asked.

"Uh…yeah, but I'll have to take a rain check on that beer," Blake said, as he headed off without another word. Once he was sure he was alone, he raised the device to his lips.

"Go for Blake," he answered.

"_Blake…it's Cam," _Cam's voice sounded.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"_Trouble…Big trouble," _Cam answered.

"Nah, it can't be Lothor again," Blake refuted.

"_I only wish it was Lothor. It's worse…way worse, but I can't say much more over the communicators. Just get back to Blue Bay Harbor as soon as possible," _Cam ordered. Blake shook his head.

"Look, I've got a race tomorrow, I can't just leave! Besides, what can we do? We don't even have powers anymore," Blake argued.

"_Look, I realize that this sucks the big one dude, but we're all gathering…as in __**all**_ _who have ever held ranger powers. We don't have a choice. We're staring down the barrel of the annihilation of the human race right now," _Shane's voice sounded.

"_I told you not to say too much over the communicators. He might be listening," _Cam warned.

"_He already knows that we know about him. Just get here,"_ Shane's voice ordered.

"Got it…I'll be there as soon as I can," Blake said through clenched teeth. He angrily stuffed the communicator into his bag and went to his hotel room. After packing a few things and leaving his teammates a note, Blake hopped onto his navy blue street bike. Luckily, he was currently in San Diego for his next race, so he could avoid slow airports and make the 3 hour trek home on his wheels…

* * *

_**Turtle Cove**_

The black suburban pulled up next to the red jeep, where five young people were gathered. The four occupants got out and the two Ninjas trailed behind the Silver Guardians.

"Wes…" Cole Evans greeted with a handshake.

"Eric…" he continued with another handshake.

"Good to see all of you…we just wish the circumstances were better," Wes said, nodding to the other four that made up Wild Force.

"The Government is calling it an Earthquake, but that story isn't going to hold much longer considering that Briarwood is gone now too," Taylor informed, her eyes meeting Eric's in a piercing stare.

"Briarwood too? Are the Mystic Force rangers okay?" Tori chimed in.

"I think so. We think they're helping with the relief efforts. Someone named Adam Park told me that they hoped to send someone to get them soon and take them somewhere called Blue Bay Harbor," Cole said.

"Ninja Ops," Hunter concluded. Tori nodded. Tommy and Adam were bringing everyone together.

"If Tommy is gathering ranger teams, then it's safe to assume that he wants us to get the Lightspeed rangers and head there," Wes decided.

"That's fine, but who are they?" Taylor asked, ever the suspicious one. Eric rolled his eyes.

"Relax Lieutenant, they're rangers too," Eric said stiffly. She glared at him.

"Actually it's Captain now, Mr. Meyers," she replied coldly.

"That's Commander Meyers and you know it," he shot back.

"This is really not the time for your lover's quarrel," Wes warned.

"Try ex-lover," Taylor said icily. The tension between the two was thick, making it obvious that things hadn't ended well between them.

"I'm Tori Hanson, former Blue Wind Ninja ranger," Tori introduced, cutting through the tension. Alyssa greeted her with a warm smile.

"Alyssa Enrile-Evans," she greeted, a hand resting on her obviously pregnant belly.

"Hunter Bradley, former crimson thunder ninja ranger," he greeted with a nod to her and a handshake with Cole.

"Cole Evans, former red as well. You've unfortunately met our crabby yellow ranger Taylor Earhart and this is Danny Delgado and Max Cooper, our blue and black rangers," Cole introduced. Greetings were exchanged.

"Were you able to get your morphers from the Animarium?" Wes asked. The Wild Force team exchanged glances.

"No…and we're not sure why, but we've been completely cut off from the Animarium. I'm afraid we're powerless," Cole said regrettably.

"Then it isn't a coincidence," Wes mumbled.

"What isn't?" Hunter asked.

"Before you two arrived in Silver Hills, I tried to contact the other Time Force rangers in the future…but I just got static. I thought maybe there was just some interference," Wes said gravely.

"He's doing this. He's cutting us off from any help we might try to get," Hunter suggested.

"It looks that way," Wes replied.

"How secure is this Ninja Ops of yours?" Eric questioned.

"It's very secretive…but Adam said that about the old command center they had the first time they faced his Ooze guy. It didn't keep him out of there and I don't know if we can keep him out of Ninja Ops now either," Tori said uncertainly. Hunter clutched her hand.

"The higher the concentration of former rangers the better probably though and Cam has early warning systems installed all over the woods surrounding the school," Hunter added.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," Taylor grumbled.

"You have a better idea?" he challenged. Cole shot her a stern glare and she kept her mouth shut this time.

"All right, you guys follow us in your jeep. Fortunately, Mariner Bay's only an hour drive," Wes called. Cole nodded and took Alyssa's hand, prompting Eric to say something.

"Cole, are you sure it's a good idea to bring her along considering…her condition?" Eric asked.

"I can help…" Alyssa insisted, looking at Eric and her husband.

"I may not be able to do any heavy lifting, but I can certainly help in triage," Alyssa insisted. Cole nodded.

"She's right about that," Cole agreed. Eric nodded, as they got into their vehicles and headed back to the highway.


	9. Chapter 8: Keep Holding On

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

AN: Here's chapter 8! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to the prologue and chapter 1 for other important author's notes.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 8: Keep Holding On

_You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand_

_Before the doors close  
And it comes to an end  
With you by my side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend  
Yeah, yeah_

_Keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_  
_Just stay strong_  
_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you_  
_There's nothing you could say_  
_Nothing you could do_  
_There's no other way when it comes to the truth_  
_So keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_**Song: Keep Holding On**_

_**Artist: Avril Lavigne**_

* * *

As Tommy drove to Blue Bay Harbor, he started making another call after checking in with Jason again.

"_Hello," _

"Anton…it's Tommy," he said.

"_Tommy, good to hear from you,"_ Anton responded.

"Yeah, I wish it was under better circumstances, but I'm afraid we've got problems again," Tommy began.

"_This wouldn't have anything to do with what's going on in Mariner Bay, would it? I'm having a hard time buying the Earthquake story,"_ Anton replied.

"I should have known you'd never buy the government garbage. But yeah, we're gathering in Blue Bay Harbor. I'd feel better if you and Elsa made your way there," Tommy suggested.

"_I'll make arrangements. Anything you need, just name it," _Anton said.

"Thanks. For now, I just need you to get Trent back here from New York as fast as possible," Tommy replied.

"_I'll call him and send my private jet. We'll all be there tomorrow or the next day at the latest," _Anton responded.

"Thanks. I'll see you soon," Tommy said, sighing as he hung up the phone.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Zedd looked at the small establishment known as Storm Chargers and knew that this would be the best place to start. He walked in and looked around when a pretty red head approached.

"Can I help you?" Kelly asked.

"I'm not sure, I'm actually looking for Hunter Bradley," Zedd replied pleasantly.

"I haven't seen him around the last couple days, but those two might know," Kelly said, pointing to a Polynesian boy in red and a chocolate haired half Latino boy in yellow, who sat on the sofa. He instantly recognized them from his observance as Shane Clarke and Dustin Brooks.

"Thank you," he replied, politely, before approaching the two young men.

"Excuse me, can either of you tell me where I can find Hunter Bradley," he inquired. Shane and Dustin exchanged glances and stood up.

"Uh…he's out of town at the moment, actually. He should be back later today though," Shane responded. Zedd nodded.

"Good, I'll wait then. It's imperative that I speak with him soon," Zedd replied.

"Sounds serious," Dustin prodded. Zedd smirked.

"It is very serious and it's best if I wait to tell the story when Hunter arrives, though speaking to your Sensei beforehand might be a good idea," Zedd mentioned, watching Dustin become nervous and Shane go rigid.

"How do you know about Sensei?" Shane questioned.

"I'm not an enemy, red ranger. I'm an ally, I assure you and the information I have will only further your endeavors to take down Ivan Ooze," Zedd responded quietly.

"Dude…you know about Ooze?" Dustin asked. Zedd nodded.

"Back off Dustin, we don't know if we can trust this guy yet," Shane ordered.

"You can Shane. We need to listen to whatever it is he has to say," a new voice chimed in. They turned to see Cam filing in with Connor, Kira, Hayley, Tommy, and an African American woman the two didn't recognize. Zedd smirked.

"Hello Tommy," he greeted. Tommy nodded curtly.

"Zedd," Tommy returned his greeting.

* * *

_**Mariner Bay**_

Wes sped past the Mariner Bay city limits with Cole behind him. The smoke had been seen from the highway for miles, but it still didn't prepare them for the scene of horror that waited for them and when they reached a point in the city near the firehouse, they knew something else was going on. Wes had sent a Silver Guardian detachment ahead of them to help pull survivors from the rubble, but his men stood in a cluster off to the side, while several other men in similar tactical gear milled about, around three other men dressed in military uniforms, looking completely out of pace. Survivors were being loaded into buses and Eric noticed that Carter, Dana, Kelsey, and Ryan stood defiantly before the uniformed men. They were obviously sporting minor injuries, Carter's being the worst, as he seemed to struggle to stand on his right leg.

"This doesn't look good," Hunter said, as they got out of the vehicle and started toward the Silver Guardians.

"What are you guys doing just standing around?" Eric demanded to know.

"I'm sorry Sir, but we've been ordered to stand down," the lead officer reported.

"By who?" Wes demanded.

"By me, General Randall Gorbin, head of sector nine or G.A.M.A," the man in the center said. He was probably in his fifties with salt and pepper hair and displayed his General stars proudly on his uniform.

"Sector nine? There is no such thing," Eric refuted.

"Technically you are correct, Commander Meyers, GAMA, is an organization that is off the government books and is shrouded in more secrecy than even the CIA. We were founded in 1996, roughly two and a half years after Rita Repulsa's arrival on the moon," the General informed.

"If it's so secretive, then why are you telling us?" Wes asked.

"Because they know about us…all of us, isn't that right _General_," Carter spat, in obvious pain from his wounds. The aging man smirked.

"Yes, since the Ninjetti rangers, we have been closely monitoring each ranger team in their efforts against would be alien conquerors, thus the acronym GAMA, Global Alien Monitoring Alliance," the general informed.

"That's impossible…there's no way you could have been monitoring us!" Hunter hissed.

"On the contrary, Mr. Bradley, while we may not be able to gain access to the Wind Ninja Academy…or the Thunder Academy for that matter…yet, we know of their existence, _Sensei,_" the general said.

"And you won't gain access," Hunter promised.

"That's all well and fine, but where the hell are you taking all these survivors?" Wes demanded to know.

"To hospitals in neighboring cities of course," the general replied simply.

"He means to the hospital on the nearest military base. They're not ready for people to know that we're under alien attack so he has to keep tabs on the survivors," Taylor chimed in, knowing military protocol.

"You can't keep those people against their will," Tori protested.

"On the contrary Ms. Hanson, we are at war with an alien enemy and the power rangers have failed. We have executive orders from the President to do whatever is necessary to not only combat this enemy, but protect the people, even if it is from themselves," Gorbin responded.

"The power rangers have not failed. We were all taken by surprise, but make no mistake, the beings responsible for this will pay. I think you better just stay out of what you don't understand and leave it to the experienced alien fighters," Hunter spat.

"I think I'd rather not leave my fate to a multicolored band of hormonal young people, who renegade around their respective cities above the law, especially from one with a juvenile record," Gorbin hissed. Hunter glared daggers at the man and felt Tori squeeze his hand. To this day, only she, Blake, and Sensei Omino knew about his trouble with the law when he was twelve. He felt the other ranger's eyes on him.

"I'm not sorry for trying to feed my little brother and I will do whatever I have to for Earth. You may be able to take these survivors with you for now, but we're not going anywhere with you, so I hope you're ready for a fight, old man," Hunter growled. Gorbin chuckled.

"As entertaining as that would be, hotshot, we're not interested in taking you rangers today, though if we did, we'd be taking all of you straight to prison for vigilantism…but that's for another day," Gorbin, said, as he turned away, walking toward his Hummer. The two other military officials followed him when he turned back for a moment.

"Oh and one more matter. I'm sure you have figured it out, but as of now, the Silver Guardians have been acquired by the U.S. government and your services, Commander Collins and Commander Meyers are no longer required," Gorbin said smugly. Eric snorted and threw off his beret with Wes following suit. They dropped their weapons without care at their feet and finally tossed their badges away.

"That's okay…I prefer the Quantum blaster anyway," Eric hissed.

"And finally Ms. Earhart, I trust you understand that if you don't report for duty that you'll face suspension and subsequently a dishonorable discharge," Gorbin continued. Taylor made her choice in an instant and threw her tags down in the pile, which also had the key to her military locker at the base.

"My ranger rank has always meant more to me anyway," she spat. Gorbin nodded and continued on, until the government vehicles and buses, carrying survivors, finally moved out. As they were finally gone, Carter couldn't hold out any longer and collapsed off his leg in pain.

"Damn it Carter, you have to stay off this leg," Dana cursed, as she examined it.

"It's broken. I need to set it and get it in a stint before we can move him," Dana informed. Alyssa hurried to the makeshift triage area and got the things needed.

"This is going to hurt," Dana told her husband, as she prepared to set the bone.

"Yeah, just do it," he said in a pained voice. She shook her head and did, eliciting a sharp cry from him, followed by a growl, as he attempted to act like the pain wasn't that bad. Dana shook her head and looked at Alyssa and then Tori.

"Are your reds this ridiculously hard headed?" she asked off hand. Tori smothered a laugh and Alyssa nodded whole heartedly.

"Afraid so," Alyssa voiced. Cole looked indignant.

"Oh definitely," Tori agreed, as Hunter tossed her a questioning look.

"Sorry babe, but we both know it's true," she offered with a kiss to his cheek.

"I just can't believe all that just happened. Talk about government conspiracies," Danny voiced in disbelief.

"No doubt. It's like from a movie or a comic book!" Max agreed.

"You would know, geek boy," Taylor quipped.

"So what's next?" Cole asked.

"We're heading to Blue Bay Harbor, home of the Wind Ninja Academy, with Hunter and Tori. Tommy is gathering other ranger teams there," Wes informed.

"Let's get the cripple in the suburban," Eric mentioned.

"I can walk, just help me up," Carter insisted.

"No you can't! Damn it, Carter Grayson, your leg is broken and so help me I'm not losing you today too, because you're too pigheaded to take care of yourself," Dana cried, finally starting to break down. Carter's bravado deflated instantly, as he pulled his wife into his arms.

"I'm sorry Dana…I'm so sorry," he whispered. Tori leaned against Hunter and he put his arm around her waist, as Eric and Danny helped Wes load Carter into the suburban.

"What did you do to get a juvie record?" Taylor asked suddenly, looking back at Hunter. Her teammates all shot her looks and she shrugged.

"Relax…I'm just curious. I like to know who I'm working with," Taylor assured them. Hunter sighed. Only select few knew about it, but he decided that it really didn't matter anymore.

"My parents were killed when I was eleven and my little brother Blake and I were on the streets for a while. No money meant I had to steal to feed us. It was wrong, but when your little brother is hungry, you don't really give a damn," Hunter explained sternly.

"Why didn't you go to the police?" Taylor pressed. Hunter scoffed.

"Blake and I aren't related by blood. Our parents adopted us and I knew they would separate us. Blake was still cute enough that he probably would have been easily adopted. Call me selfish, but I couldn't take losing my brother after losing my parents too," Hunter said, recalling that painful time in his life.

"Luckily, Sensei Omino found us and took legal guardianship, assuring the authorities that I wouldn't have any more run-ins with the law, so I got off with a warning when the store owner decided not to press charges. The arrest was still on my record though, but it was expunged when I turned eighteen. Anything else you'd like to know, Captain?" Hunter snapped.

"No…geez, sorry I asked," Taylor mumbled.

"I see you still have a way with people," Max quipped. Taylor scoffed.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

"Come on, it's still a good four hour drive back to Blue Bay Harbor," Wes called, just as Hunter's communicator went off.

"That's probably Cam," Tori said.

"Go for Hunter," he answered.

"_Hunter…it's Cam, where are you two?" _he asked.

"In what used to Mariner Bay," Hunter answered.

"_That's still four hours out. I'm going to teleport you all here. Briarwood is gone too and Tommy says he wants everyone back here as soon as possible," _Cam informed him.

"I guess our cars aren't going anywhere. They'll be fine here for now," Cole decided. Hunter nodded.

"There are thirteen of us," Hunter said, as Eric and Danny put Carter's arms around their shoulders to hold him up.

"_I've got a lock. Prepare to teleport in three," _Cam called. True to his word, three seconds later, all thirteen disappeared in streaks of light.

* * *

_**At the same time in Blue Bay Harbor**_

"Dude, I seriously can't believe this. I mean, you're Lord Zedd except for the whole evil thing," Dustin ranted, as they trekked through the Blue Bay Harbor woods.

"Dustin, if you don't give it a rest already, I'm going to seriously hurt you dude. Leave the man alone," Shane growled. Zedd smirked with amusement.

"I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Dustin quipped back.

"He's okay Shane. I appreciate his enthusiasm. You also know your ranger history well, Dustin," Zedd responded, as they arrived at a massive waterfall.

"Tommy, are you really sure about him?" Shane questioned for a final time. Tommy nodded.

"He's really changed Shane. Zordon gave him a second chance and he's taken it. Believe me, if anyone had a reason to hate him, it would be me," Tommy responded. Shane nodded in acceptance, before accessing the secret entrance and he, Cam and Dustin started forward, walking across the water. Zedd followed like it was nothing he had not seen before, while the other visitors looked uncertain.

"Come on guys, trust me, you're not going to fall in as long as we have the portal open," Shane assured them, as they carefully followed.

"Cyber Cam, has there been any word from Hunter and Tori?" Cam asked.

"Sorry dude, no chatter on the comm," Cyber Cam flittered, as he decided he would greet the newcomers.

"Later Cyber Cam," Cam ordered, as his cyber double disappeared with a disappointed look. The others, except Shane and Dustin gave him a questioning look.

"What? He runs things around here for me when I can't," Cam replied, as Sensei Watanabe approached.

"Hey Dad, we brought some friends…and a new ally," Cam stated.

"It's good to see you again Tommy and your young teammates. Conner, Kira, it is good to see you as well," Sensei greeted. They each bowed curtly and exchanged greetings.

"Sensei, this is Tanya Sloan, former yellow Zeo and Turbo ranger," Tommy introduced.

"It's an honor, Sensei Watanabe," Tanya greeted.

"It is my honor to meet another warrior of light," Kanoi responded.

"And this is Zedd…" Tommy said uncertainly. Kanoi greeted him, before Tommy could continue.

"For one to return to the light after walking a path of darkness takes true strength and character. To strive to right one's own wrongs takes even greater courage. Welcome to the Wind Ninja Academy," Kanoi said.

"How…" Tommy started to ask Cam, who shrugged.

"That's just Dad…he just knows. We kind of quit asking how a long time ago," Cam said in amusement.

"Thank you Sensei Watanabe, I don't deserve the humble welcoming I have been given and I don't intend to betray the confidence I've been shown. But as you all know, we have a serious situation on our hands. Ivan Ooze is one of the most powerful tyrants in the universe and as things stand now, this planet is doomed," Zedd began with an ominous tone.

"That's not very optimistic," Conner quipped. Zedd smirked.

"I do hate being a downer, but the situation isn't as bleak as that statement would lead you to believe, Mr. McKnight," Zedd continued, as he paced before them.

"Okay, I know I'm the slow one, but I'm totally lost," Dustin mentioned.

"I'm with Dustin," Conner agreed, making Zedd chuckle.

"Relax boys, I promise that I will explain everything, but Hunter needs to be here and it's better if we gather as many as possible. It's a long story that goes back six thousand years," Zedd responded.

"What could it have to do with Hunter?" Shane asked.

"Much more than you can imagine, actually, but it also has to do with Ivan Ooze. The first rule in combat is to know your enemy so it's time I make sure you all understand exactly who and what we are dealing with," Zedd remarked.

"I'll get Hunter and Tori back here. They should be with the Lightspeed rangers, along with Eric and Wes," Cam said, as he sat down at the Ops computer terminal.

"It may be at least tomorrow before Billy and later tonight before Jason's group gets here. I don't even know if Jason got a hold of Kimberly and Zack yet. And…Kat is here in Blue Bay Harbor," Tommy said, remembering his conversation with Jason.

"We should go find her," Conner suggested.

"No…if she's in witness protection, then we have to wait for Jason to get her. He's her handler and we don't want to put her and her son in danger," Tommy replied.

"Time is not on our side, so once Hunter is here, I'll proceed with my story. Cam can record me and play it back for the others later if necessary," Zedd suggested. Tommy nodded, as Cam made contact with Hunter.

A few moments later, thirteen people appeared in Ninja Ops. Wes and Danny helped Carter to a chair.

"Carter…" Tommy said.

"Hey Tommy…" Carter greeted with a pained expression, as the former black dino ranger took notice of everyone that had arrived. He soon noticed that Lightspeed was only four members in number.

"Where's…" Tommy started to ask him, as he saw the look in Carter's eyes and in an instant, Tommy knew exactly what had happened to Blue and Green Lightspeed rangers. Tommy felt his stomach drop like a lead weight. They had lost Trey, the Phantom ranger, the Aquitian rangers, their entire planet, and now two earth rangers.

"He will pay for this," Tommy assured the red Light speed ranger in a low whisper. Carter's look of determination mirrored Tommy's, simply nodding that he promised to see to it as well.

"Whoa…kind of crowded in here," Blake Bradley said, as he trekked down the stairs.

"Blake!" Dustin greeted. Cam and Shane greeted him next, before he finally came face to face with Hunter.

"Hunter…" Blake greeted. The older brother clapped him on the shoulder.

"Welcome home, little bro," Hunter replied. Blake nodded.

"Tori…" he greeted awkwardly.

"It's good to see you Blake," she replied, her awkwardness equal to his.

"Everyone, please find a seat. We have much to discuss and time is of the essence," Kanoi called to the young people in the room. They all quieted and found seats, even though most of them didn't know what was going on.

"Our guest has valuable knowledge we need to know about our enemy and he knows what must be done to combat this evil. We must listen now to his story if we are to preserve our future," Kanoi said, as all eyes turned to Zedd…


	10. Chapter 9: Stand By Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

AN: Here's chapter 9! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything after that episode is AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 9: Stand By Me

_Oh, why you look so sad,  
The tears are in your eyes,  
Come on and come to me now._

_And don't be ashamed to cry,  
Let me see you through,  
'Cause I've seen the dark side too._

_When the night falls on you,  
You don't know what to do,  
Nothing you confess  
Could make me love you less. _

_I'll stand by you,  
I'll stand by you,  
Won't let nobody hurt you,  
I'll stand by you._

_**Song: Stand By Me**_

_**Artist: The Pretenders**_

* * *

_**Briarwood**_

Nick hid behind a chunk of concrete debris, as well armed men in black police-like uniforms milled about the city, gathering survivors and shuffling them onto buses.

"Where do you think they are taking those people?" Madison whispered. He shook his head.

"I don't know, but I don't trust them, especially the ones over there," Nick said back, pointing to an aging man in full military uniform and his two MP's that seemed to flank him wherever he went. Always weary of authority, the others deferred to their leader and hid with him.

"You're right not to trust them, red ranger," a dark haired, petite woman said, as she appeared before them. Vida narrowed her eyes, but she slowly smiled, as recognition dawned on her.

"Mystic Mother…" she whispered.

"But how…" Chip echoed, wondering how she even existed anymore, much less how she was before them in physical form.

"I don't have much time to explain, rangers. We must go," she said.

"But what about the survivors?" Madison asked.

"Those men will prevent you from interfering, but the people will be safe for now. We must be on our way to Blue Bay Harbor," she responded.

"What's in Blue Bay Harbor, Mystic Mother?" Xander asked. She smiled warmly.

"I am no longer the Mystic Mother, green ranger. My powers were mostly sacrificed for your cause, but I escaped with my life fortunately. And Blue Bay Harbor is home to the Wind Ninja Academy. Rangers are gathering to combat the evil that did this to your city," she explained.

"What do we call you now then?" Nick questioned. She smiled.

"By my name, of course. It's Rita," she stated, as the followed her.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

_**Ninja Ops**_

Zedd surveyed the young people before him, though his eyes couldn't help but drift back to his nephew. He had to keep his concentration, but found it a little difficult knowing that he was not only about to change Hunter's life forever, but also to remind himself that he wasn't staring at his brother. He saw Dulcea in the young crimson thunder wielder too, but he was unmistakably the son of his late brother.

"Who are you?" Tori asked, snapping him away from his thoughts.

"I am Zedd of Eltar and long ago, before my fall to darkness, I battled Ivan Ooze alongside my own team of rangers, thousands of years ago," Zedd began his story.

"My fall is very much a part of the story I am about to tell, but I assure you that my days of evil are long passed. I was given a chance at redemption by my old friend Zordon upon his death and I vow to you as a former warrior of the light that I will not betray this chance, rangers," he assured them. A few of them shifted uncomfortably, but most seemed to accept his word.

"My story begins six thousand years ago," Zedd began.

"During my youth, the galaxy was a place of relative peace until a tyrant known as Ivan Ooze began conquering defenseless worlds in a galaxy neighboring Eltar. He was ruthless and more powerful than even the strongest sorcerer on Eltar. The Ooze Empire was soon established and his reach began to extend into our galaxy. He had managed to conquer a gifted race of warriors with the ability to use energy blasts that drew not from magic, but from their own life force, without draining them immediately," Zedd said, pausing, as he saw recognition in Carter's eyes.

"The green beings that attacked Mariner Bay," he stated. Zedd nodded.

"The Duronians. They make up most of the Ooze Empire's elite army and the one that took the life of the Blue Lightspeed ranger is known as Xinshing, who alone has killed hundreds of rangers from various worlds, including Trey of Triforia now as well," Zedd continued.

"Back to my story though. Ivan's rise to power was troubling to the Council of Elders on my home planet and when Master Vile began his conquest to conquer the M51 galaxy, they decided that something had to be done," he said.

"What did they do?" Danny asked with rapt attention.

"They called upon our allies on the Planet of Phaedos and insisted that it was time to allow the Ninjetti spirits to be awakened to combat the forces of evil. Their only stipulation was that their very own Princess would join the ranks. Zordon wasn't happy," Zedd chuckled.

"Why?" Hunter asked.

"Zordon's father was a Council elder and lost his wife early in Zordon's life. The Queen of Phaedos was also widowed fairly early in her marriage as well. They met and fell in love. The union produced a daughter, the crown Princess of Phaedos. Zordon's sister…Dulcea. He was a little overprotective of his baby sister," Zedd stated, expecting the gasp from Tommy that came.

"Dulcea is Zordon's half-sister?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes Tommy," Zedd answered.

"He never told us," Tommy replied.

"I know, but trust me, everything Zordon did had purpose, I assure you," Zedd stated.

"Anyway, the team of warriors was assembled and we called ourselves the Council of Meledon. It consisted of Zordon, our white ranger, who led us beside my older brother…Zander, the crimson ranger. Dulcea represented Phaedos, as the silver ranger. Trephan of Triforia was our gold ranger, a direct ancestor of Trey, Dolphia of Aquitar was our blue, and I was our green ranger. I'm afraid the trouble started though when our Ninjetti spirit animals were revealed. In hindsight, I was a jealous fool," Zedd spat in disgust with himself.

"What do you mean?" Shane asked.

"My family consisted of a long line of powerful warriors, almost a dynasty on Eltar. We were the chosen family of the Phoenix Ninjetti spirit, the most powerful and rare Ninjetti. The Phoenix only chooses one family line and one per generation to bestow its power to. My father was chosen…and then I was passed over in favor of Zander. The Phoenix of course made the right choice, but I couldn't see this at the time. All I wanted was power and it strained my relationship with him," Zedd continued.

"So did your brother defeat Ivan Ooze?" Dustin asked. Zedd smiled.

"Yes, though it was Zordon's spell that sealed Ooze away in the hyper lock chamber, it was my brother's powers of fire and thunder that overpowered the tyrant. Unfortunately, our problems didn't end there," Zedd answered.

"Master Vile, right?" Tommy asked bitterly, remembering his destruction of the power coins.

"Yes…he wanted my brother dead, because of the threat he posed to his rule and my brother set his sights on freeing M51 from Vile's clutches. While my brother fought against his armies, I grew more bitter and angry at always being in his shadow. Vile picked up on this of course and told me about a power source that would make me more powerful than Zander if I could get my hands on it," Zedd stated.

"The Zeo Crystal," Tommy guessed. Zedd nodded.

"Of course, he didn't tell me that it would destroy anyone that touched it if they had evil in their hearts. Being pure evil, Vile would have been incinerated upon contact with it, but I wasn't completely gone by then and he knew this. I was burned alive when my hand touched the crystal, leaving me as the skinless monster that would later terrorize Zordon's chosen rangers. My anger was only compounded when my brother arrived and stole the powerful crystal away, seeing that its guardians sealed it away on Earth's moon and away from Vile's clutches. I betrayed my brother and vowed to get revenge on him. Vile was only more than happy to use me to do his bidding," Zedd spat bitterly.

"What happened then? If your brother was so powerful, then Vile didn't stand a chance, right?" Dustin asked. Zedd gave him a thin smile.

"If only it were that simple. He couldn't defeat my brother directly, so he instead went after my brother's wife. By that time, Zander and Dulcea had married and she was with child," Zedd told them.

"So Vile went after her and the baby," Tori guessed. Zedd swallowed the lump in his throat, as he looked between the pair, as Hunter held her hand. His mouth went dry as he realized the very real possibility that they could face the same dilemma someday. He shook away those thoughts. He had vowed to protect his nephew this time and that protection would extend to her as well.

"Yes, he wanted the child destroyed. As long as the Phoenix Ninjetti existed, he could never complete his conquest to rule the universe. He attacked Phaedos and these catastrophic events led to the annihilation of Dulcea's people. Vile used a spell to curse Dulcea, forcing my brother to either watch her die in his arms or sacrifice himself. Being the man he was, he did the latter of course," Zedd told softly.

"I don't think I understand," Cole voiced.

"He used his full power of the Phoenix to reverse the aging curse on his wife, though she would be forced to remain in her palace on Phaedos for eternity, lest she would wish to rapidly age again. Usually, the Phoenix has the power to recover from even the most devastating of wounds, but Zander went a step further and allowed his essence to be passed onto his child, protecting the baby from any curse Vile could try. The old snake was infuriated that he couldn't take the child and raise it to be evil, but thrilled that Zander was out of his way," Zedd continued.

"So what happened to the baby? I clearly don't remember there being anyone else with Dulcea when we were there twelve years ago," Tommy questioned.

"The Temple where Dulcea resides is enchanted and for thousands of years, she cared for her child that remained as unchanged as she did. But she and Zordon both knew that the time would come for the child to be sent away so he could grow into the warrior he was destined to be," Zedd stated.

"But wouldn't the child age really fast too if he or she left the Temple?" Max asked with hungry attention.

"The child is a boy," Zedd confirmed.

"Zander saw to it that his heir wasn't cursed like his beloved was. The boy aged at a normal pace and through the years, Zordon kept a watchful, yet unknowing eye on the nephew we shared. I took up that mantle for him when he died and gave me a second chance to redeem myself," Zedd told them, as he shared a look with Sensei Watanabe. The Ninjas looked to their teacher, seeing that it seemed he suddenly knew something that the rest of them didn't.

"It's a fascinating story, but what exactly does it have to do with us? Or the situation we're in?" Eric asked dryly. Wes nudged him for the obvious disrespect in his tone. But if Eric cared, he didn't show it.

"I'm glad you asked that, Mr. Meyers and the answer is everything…because that boy is in this room," he announced, eliciting shock and gasps throughout the room. Uncharacteristically, it was Dustin that made the connection first.

"Hey…didn't you come here looking for Hunter?" he asked. All eyes turned to the former crimson thunder ranger and the blonde looked very uncomfortable, but tried to shake it off with a lazy smirk.

"You guys can't seriously be thinking that he's talking about me?" Hunter asked incredulously.

"Dude…you are the crimson ranger," Shane reminded. Hunter shook his head in vehement.

"No way dude, he's not talking about me. He can't be," Hunter refuted, as he felt Tori squeeze his hand tightly.

"The Crimson _thunder_ ranger too," Blake added, earning a glare from his big brother.

"Thunder, not fire," Hunter refuted, as Tori gave him a meaningful look. She hadn't forgotten about the incident as they watched the footage of the green skinned General who had terrorized Mariner Bay and neither had he.

"Hunter…I know this has to be really difficult to take in, but the dormant Phoenix spirit has already become restless and I know you have felt things that you haven't felt before, things that you can't explain," Zedd approached gently. Hunter looked at him questionably and shook his head.

"This is too much. I'm not the one you're looking for. I was born here on Earth…I had parents…" Hunter tried to reason.

"You're adopted bro," Blake reminded.

"So are you," Hunter shot back.

"It is absolutely no coincidence that you are the crimson thunder ranger, the only ranger to wield the color since your birth father," Zedd stated.

"But I don't have any ability with fire, no one does. There's no school of fire," Hunter refuted.

"That's because only the Phoenix can wield fire and your fire is only beginning to stir. Thunder is easier learned, but your fire has only recently begun to stir in the presence of evil, hasn't it?" Zedd questioned. Hunter looked at him and then shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

"Hunter…on the way to Mariner Bay when we were watching Xinshing destroy Mariner Bay, your skin was on fire…and it was like you couldn't hear me for a few minutes," Tori reminded. He shook his head.

"It was nothing," he denied again.

"Let me guess, there was a roaring in your ears like a volcano waiting to erupt," Zedd said knowingly.

"I need some air," Hunter said, as he jumped up and Ninja streaked to the exit. Tori sighed and Ninja streaked after him before anyone could stop her.

"All this has been fascinating, but we have even more problems than Ivan Ooze," Eric voiced finally.

"What else could there be?" Cam asked. Wes and Eric exchanged a glance.

"In short, none of our identities are as secure as we may think," Wes stated.

"What are you talking about?" Conner asked, speaking for the first time.

"I mean that there's a government organization out there that knows all about us. We were lucky enough to run into them in Mariner Bay," Eric answered, as they explained what had happened.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor Beach**_

The ocean breeze ruffled through Hunter's shaggy blonde locks, as he stared out at the choppy white caps. He felt her eyes on him, as she arrived and sighed.

"Those are some killer waves," he mentioned.

"They are, but I didn't come here to check out the waves," she replied, as she came beside him. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, I just had to get out of there and get some air," he apologized.

"It's a lot to take in, but don't think I'm going to let you brood about this all alone," she said, threading her fingers with his.

"We're still in this together," she promised.

"I know…I guess I'm…overwhelmed a little," he replied. She knew in Hunter talk that overwhelmed meant scared, but she would deal with that later.

"Of course you are. You just learned who your real parents are, among other things," she mentioned.

"Like that Zander was the most powerful ranger of all time and has some pretty big shoes to fill," Hunter added.

"It's still not a burden that you're going to share alone," she reminded.

"I'm not even from Earth," he said sadly. She tilted her head and gently brushed his bangs away from his eyes, her hand gently stroking his cheek with a loving touch.

"Do you really think that there is anything that could change the way I feel about you?" she asked, gazing into his intense blue/gray eyes. They were so much like the color of the sky over the ocean just before a storm and just a glance from those eyes easily sent tingles through her body.

"I know this is a lot to wrap your mind around, but the fact that you're the one that will probably save us all really doesn't surprise me. I'm not going anywhere and I'll be right by your side every step of the way," Tori told him, before kissing him softly. Spurred on by her lips moving over his, he responded hungrily, slowly deepening the kiss, the intensity growing between them. His hands slid around her waist and pressed on the small of her back, squelching any remaining daylight between them, as he moved his lips passionately over hers. Their lips finally parted, as their lungs demanded air and they stared into each other's eyes, lost in the intense emotions that swept through them.

"We should probably get back and see what's next," he finally mentioned. She smiled and nodded, as they joined hands when he stopped suddenly.

"Hunter?" she asked, as he looked behind them, his eyes darting everywhere.

"What is it?" she pressed.

"I…don't know, but it's that roaring in my ears again. I think…something's wrong…" he said uncertainly. As if on cue, they heard a woman scream and grabbing her hand, they raced off to find the source.

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

Blake ran a hand through his hair, as he paced nervously. He tended to worry about Hunter when he went off on one of his tangents of brooding and self-loathing. It was way too much to take in at once and his big brother had never been too good at dealing with his emotions. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shane looking at him.

"He'll be fine," Shane assured him.

"Yeah man, Tor will make him talk. She doesn't let him bottle his emotions anymore like he used to," Dustin mentioned. Blake looked a little uncomfortable and Dustin winced.

"Sorry dude, I forgot that this has to be weird for you," he added. Blake shrugged.

"They seem happy together and Hunter's never really been truly happy before, not since our parents were killed. I had no right to expect Tori not to move on when I didn't even make a move in the first place," Blake refuted. Shane patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"You're right," Shane reminded him, as they heard the security signal chime on the console.

"That probably means trouble," Cam said, as he honed in on the signal coming from Blue Bay Harbor beach. When he pulled up the scene on the viewing screen, they expected to see alien monsters, but instead they saw a tall blonde woman with a little boy, surrounded by several armed thugs. The weaponry had likely tripped Cam's sensitive security scanners.

"That's Kat…" Tommy cried, as they saw Hunter and Tori, who must have been nearby, arrive.

"Connor, let's give them a hand. If I'm right, those goons work for whoever is after her and that means we can't wait for Jason to bring her here," Tommy called.

"I'll teleport you guys to the beach. Be careful, they've got guns," Cam warned, as Connor and Tommy disappeared, while the others watched, waiting to see if they would be needed.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor Beach**_

Kat ran as fast as her legs would carry her, clutching Aiden's hand beside her, as he ran as well. They had been found again and now Malcolm's thugs were chasing them across the beach. She felt one of them grab her arm and yank her back.

"Aiden run!" she pleaded, as the man backhanded her, sending her crashing into the sand.

"Mom!" Aiden screamed, as the thugs surrounded him. Instead of cowering before them, he sunk into a fighting stance like he had learned from his Uncle Jason.

"Look boys, the shrimp thinks he can take us on," one chuckled. Keying off, Aiden delivered an impressive kick to the man's leg.

"Ow…you little shit!" he screamed, as he grabbed the boy by the hair and tossed him to the sand.

"No…please, just leave him alone!" Kat pleaded, as the others hovered above her.

"Don't worry sweetie, you won't be feeling anything in a second. Mr. Renaldi's orders for you are clear," the leader sneered, as he cocked his gun. Hot tears slipped down Kat's cheeks, as she realized that it was over. Suddenly, a crimson and aqua blur snatched the woman and child from the sand and reappeared several feet away, safely depositing the two on a bench. Kat looked at the young man and woman in confusion, as the young blonde woman put her son in her arms.

"Stay here…we'll deal with this," the man in crimson told her.

"Matt…take care of these punks…" the leader ordered, as the man fired his gun.

"Thunder shield!" Hunter cried, as a crimson film sizzled to life in front of him and Tori and the bullets fell harmlessly to the sand.

"What the…" the men uttered in confusion.

"Get them now!" the leader demanded. Hunter leapt at the stockiest one that was easily twice his size and elbowed him in the gut. The man grunted in pain, as he disarmed him and then swept his legs out from under him. Another came at him, but Hunter was too quick. He kicked him in the gut and rolled over his back, as he doubled over in pain. He kicked the third one in the face and then sent him face down into the sand with a knife punch between his shoulder blades. The other two, clearly thinking that Tori would be easy prey, actually holstered their weapons and attacked her. The water ninja kneed the first foe in the gut, surprising him with her strength and she grabbed his arm, flipping him over onto his back, before leaping into the air and scissor kicking the second attacker. Hunter joined her, as the men scrambled to regroup, preparing to fire their weapons. Hunter looked to Tori and she nodded. Since they had discovered that the government knew about their powers, they didn't see much reason to hide it anymore. It seemed like it would only be a matter of time before everyone knew anyway and they weren't about to be killed to keep a secret. Water swirled in her hands and she blasted them back with a raging torrent.

"What the hell?!" one screamed, as they all landed in a dripping pile in the sand. Hunter glared at them and truly frightened them with the crackling orbs of lightning that appeared in his palms.

"What…the hell are you?" one of them uttered. Hunter ignored his question.

"Only a bunch of cowards would gang up and hurt a woman and her child. If I ever see you in this city again, I'll roast you all," Hunter threatened, as he watched them run away in fear. Tori turned to the other blonde and smiled warmly at her.

"It's okay…they're gone…" she assured him. Kat shook her head.

"You don't know my ex-husband. He'll just send more of them. Come on Aiden, we have to go," Kat said.

"Thank you, but we can't stay," Kat said, still in panic mode.

"Kat wait!" a new voice called. The blonde stopped and turned, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Tommy?" she questioned.

"It's okay Kat, you don't have to run anymore," he told her. She shook her head.

"You don't understand Tommy. I have to contact Jason," Kat said, trembling.

"Jason is already on his way here. We're all former rangers here and we can take you some place that he can't get to you. Trust me," Tommy assured her.

"Mom, if they're rangers, then we'll be safe," Aiden said in awe, as he looked up at them.

"Why is Jason coming here?" Kat asked. Tommy sighed.

"Because all rangers are gathering. I promise we'll explain, but not here," Tommy replied. Kat nodded, as she took Aiden's hand and followed the four former rangers.

"That was so awesome! How did you do all that?" Aiden asked, wide eyed, as they trekked along the beach. Hunter smiled.

"We're Ninjas and we study at a school that teaches one not only martial arts, but to use the power of their inner ninja powers of the elements. Some are air ninjas. Some are earth ninjas. And as you've probably guessed, Tori is a water ninja and I'm a thunder ninja," Hunter explained.

"And you are power rangers too?" Aiden asked in amazement. Tori smiled.

"We were, but we don't have our ranger powers anymore," Tori responded.

"I wish I was a ranger. Then I'd really make my dad sorry for hurting us," Aiden said sadly.

"He's not going to hurt you again or your Mom. Now that we're involved, he'll pay. It may have to wait until after we deal with Ivan Ooze, but he'll get what he deserves," Tommy promised.

"Ivan Ooze…didn't you and the others defeat him before I became a ranger?" Kat asked. Tommy nodded.

"He exploded with the comet, but someone has put him back together," Tommy sighed.

"Trey is dead and Triforia has been conquered. And…Aquitar was blown to pieces," Tommy told her sadly. Kat felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Billy…" she said sadly.

"He made it off. He and his daughter are the only survivors. They're on their way here, but Cestria died in his arms before they had to flee," Tommy told her.

"Oh my God…poor Billy," Kat cried.

"It gets worse," Conner said. Kat looked to the young man.

"Oh, I'm Conner McKnight, former red Dino ranger," Conner said. Kat smiled and shook his hand.

"Katherine Hillard and this is Aiden," she replied.

"Hunter Bradley, former crimson thunder ranger," Hunter introduced.

"Tori Hanson, former blue wind ranger," Tori added.

"Thank you to both of you again…I don't want to think what would have happened if you hadn't intervened," Kat thanked them.

"We're just glad we got there in time," Hunter replied.

"So…you said it gets worse?" Kat asked with a sigh.

"Ooze's army has destroyed Mariner Bay and Briarwood. The Mystic Force rangers all survived, but the blue and green Lightspeed rangers were killed, not to mention hundreds of innocent people in both cities," Tommy said evenly.

"My God…what are any of us going to do? Do any teams still have powers?" Kat asked.

"The Overdrive team does, they're the newest, but they don't stand a chance. Nothing against them, but their lack of experience is going against them. We're way more experienced and we barely defeated him the first time," Tommy said, pausing for a moment.

"Other than them, we can count on the Space rangers and Galaxy rangers if they get here, but so far, we haven't been able to get in contact with Andros. K0-35 and Mirinoi could be under attack for all we know, but we have an ally that seems to know what we have to do," Tommy said hesitantly.

"An ally?" Kat asked.

"Yeah…it's Zedd…" Tommy said carefully.

"Zedd?! As in Lord Zedd?" Kat exclaimed.

"Easy Kat, he and Rita aren't the same people. They're on our side now and though he just found out, Hunter is actually his nephew. Zordon's too," Tommy replied. Kat was trying to find words and wrap her mind around that concept.

"It's probably best if you just watch the recording of Zedd telling the story when we get back to Ops," Tori suggested, as Hunter raised his communicator to his lips.

"Hey Cam, we're clear and we've got six to teleport," Hunter said.

"_Standby in three,"_ Cam responded, as a few seconds later, they disappeared in six streams of light.


	11. Chapter 10: Shape My Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used. This chapter's again belong to Eyeshine, one of the best bands ever, in my opinion.

AN: Here's chapter 10! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything after that episode is AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 10: Shape My Heart

_The sounds of traffic fade in and out_

_The lights of a city blurry now_

_The cause for panic is over_

_Stress and discomfort I soon forget_

_You take my pain away_

_You make my world okay_

_You shape my heart so I can feel what love is_

_You take my hate away_

_And we'll last forever_

_Right here or wherever_

_**Song: Shape My Heart**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**En route to Blue Bay Harbor**_

"No, I understand Zack and I wouldn't even be calling if this weren't a serious code red," Jason said into his phone, as he drove down the highway. Trini sighed and looked out the passenger window, seeing the sign that told her that Blue Bay Harbor was only another sixty miles away. They had flown into Angel Grove this morning and rented a car. Behind them was a burgundy SUV carrying Rocky, Aisha, their daughter Olivia, and Adam.

"All right, I'll keep you posted," Jason said dejectedly.

"No man, I understand. You need to do what you think is right," Jason added. Trini looked at her husband and knew that Zack was not taking the call to action well at all. She sighed. Maybe it was best he didn't get involved, at least not now. Zack had married Angela and moved to New York. He owned a very successful dance studio, which Angela helped him run, taking care of the business and financial side, while raising their young son. She knew about his days as a ranger and was in no way impressed. She expected Zack to be done with that life and be there for his family. Trini really couldn't blame her and for someone who hadn't been a ranger, it was more difficult to understand the gravity of the situation. It helped too that she and Jason didn't have kids yet. They had a good marriage, but busy careers, his as an FBI agent and hers as surgeon. Saving lives was part of what they did so transitioning temporarily back to their lives as rangers was just another spectrum of that.

"All right, take care. Yeah, don't worry, we'll be careful and I'll give your condolences to Billy," Jason said, as he finally hung up his cell phone.

"Not coming?" Trini asked. Jason shook his head.

"The minute Angela heard that what happened in Mariner Bay was an alien attack, she freaked out and forbid Zack to go anywhere near this and I quote, "crazy state"," Jason replied.

"Guess I can't really blame her. I'm just used to being married to a red," Trini mentioned, as she reached over and squeezed his hand. He smirked.

"Guess it doesn't matter if it's human or alien evil. Always seems like I'm tracking down one or the other," Jason mentioned. Trini smiled.

"It's part of who you are and even though I worry every single day, I know that you wouldn't be happy if you weren't doing something to make a difference," Trini replied, as his phone chirped. He handed it to her so she could read the text.

"Who's it from?" he asked.

"Tommy. I guess Malcolm's goons turned up in Blue Bay Harbor and were after Kat again," Trini said.

"Damn it…is she okay?" he asked. Trini nodded.

"She's with Tommy and the others now. Someone named Hunter and Tori took out five of them by themselves," Trini said in disbelief. She knew the type of people that Malcolm hired to do his dirty work. They weren't pushovers and they were always heavily armed.

"Those names sound vaguely familiar. I'm guessing they're rangers from the secret Ninja school," he said, with a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"If those kids fight that good, I totally want to spar them," he mentioned. Trini rolled her eyes. Some things would never change.

"Have you heard from Kim yet? Jason asked. Trini shook her head.

"Not yet. But she is training possible future Olympians for next summer's games," Trini reminded.

"Yeah, well there might not be any games next year if we don't take care of Ooze, so she better answer her damn phone. It's well past time that she and the rainbow ranger talked anyway," Jason griped. Trini smiled.

"He really hates it when you call him that," Trini reminded. Jason grinned.

"All the more reason to do it. Besides, he's the one that can't make up his damn mind about what color he wants to be," Jason joked. Trini shook her head.

"I'll try Kim again," she said, as she dialed the number.

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

Hunter and Tori led the returning party down the steps and Aiden continued to babble on in amazement about the waterfall portal they had just stepped through.

"Wow…this place is awesome…" Aiden said in awe. Tommy chuckled, as the little boy went about looking around.

"Oh my God…Kat!" Tanya cried.

"Tanya!" Kat cried in response, as the two friends hugged each other tightly.

"When I heard you were in witness protection, I was so worried," Tanya said.

"I know…I'm sorry," Kat replied.

"We're just glad you're safe," Tommy mentioned.

"And we're going to make sure you stay that way, but aren't you going to introduce me?" Tanya asked, as she pointed to the little boy that was looking around.

"Aiden…come here," Kat called.

"This is Mommy's friend Tanya,"

"It's nice to meet you Aiden. Your Mom and I go way back," Tanya said.

"Yeah, you were the yellow ranger when my mom was the pink one, right?" he asked, surprising Tanya. She nodded.

"Sure was kiddo," she replied, as he went back to looking around.

"He's amazing Kat," Tommy told her. She smiled.

"He's my world and he fears nothing…unfortunately. He wants to be a ranger someday too, it's all he can talk about," Kat said, chagrin in her voice.

"I'm surprised you told him. Not many seven-year-olds can keep that kind of secret," Tanya mentioned.

"Aiden seems a lot older than he is. Moving around all the time isn't easy, but he never complains," Kat replied sadly. Tommy squeezed her shoulder.

"Don't feel guilty. Getting out of that situation was the best thing you could have done. The rangers have bigger fish to fry right now, but don't think we're not going to pay a visit to this guy when we've dealt with Ooze," Tommy said. On the way back to the school, they had given Kat the rundown on what was happening.

"I don't want anyone putting themselves in harm's way for me. It's not fair for me to ask that of any of you," Kat refuted.

"Uh…no disrespect Ms. Hillard, but Hunter and Tori aren't the only Ninjas around. If they can take out five armed guys, then what do you think all six of them can do? They kicked our asses when we were rangers," Conner mentioned. Shane chuckled.

"Yeah, we so did," Shane chimed in, earning chuckles in response.

"You are among friends and family here, Katherine and you and your son are welcome here at the Wind Ninja Academy as long as you like. I'm Sensei Kanoi Watanabe,"

"Thank you for your kindness, Sensei," Katherine replied, her weariness starting to fade.

"You teach Martial Arts here, right?" Aiden asked. Kanoi smiled.

"Yes young one. Here the ways of the Wind Ninja are learned. I sense you have had a few Martial Arts lessons?" Kanoi asked.

"A couple from my Uncle Jason, but we never get to stay long enough anywhere else for me to learn more," Aiden said sadly.

"Well, perhaps that can change now," Kanoi offered the young man.

Hunter smiled at the boy and felt Tori take his hand. He looked at her and noticed her concerned gaze, which was mixed with her love for him.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yeah…it's a lot to take in, but I'll be fine, because I have you. And because I'm trying to look at this from the perspective that you would look at it," Hunter replied. She smiled coyly.

"Oh and how would I look at it?" she asked. He returned her smile.

"That despite everything that I'm going to face now, I just found out that I also have an uncle who wants to be a part of my life and a mother that's still alive," he replied, as he brushed her hair from her face, gently caressing her beautiful face.

"You always help me see the good in everything. Your love takes the pain, anger, and hate away. I'm a better man because of you," Hunter continued, as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly, before approaching his Uncle, leaving her breathless with a dreamy stare and her feelings for him making her heart swell with love.

"I'm…sorry I ran out. It was just a lot to take in," he said, as Tori stood beside him. She smiled, as they joined hands.

"But I think we're ready for whatever we have to do next," Hunter added. Zedd smiled.

"I knew you'd be back and there is more to be revealed when a few more arrive. Rita will soon arrive with the Scroll of Fire and it will tell us who will be accompanying you to Phaedos," Zedd replied.

"The Scroll of Fire has been missing from the Wind Ninja Academy for almost twenty-five years," Cam mentioned. Zedd nodded and glanced at Kanoi.

"Yes Cam…it has and that's because I made sure it was given to Zordon. The Bradley's delivered it themselves for safekeeping," Kanoi said.

"My adoptive parents?" Hunter asked. He nodded.

"I was still evil at the time you were sent to Earth and though I didn't arrive here until 1994, your mother and Zordon had to make sure I had not even an inkling that you were here. Had I found you when I was evil and took you, all would have been lost. Sensei Watanabe and your adoptive parents couldn't tell you of your true heritage or it could have jeopardized everything," Zedd explained. Hunter sighed deeply, again taking in more overwhelming information.

"What does the scroll say?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know. I don't speak Triforian. It originally came from Triforia and was in Trey's hands the moment Zordon got a hold of it," Zedd replied, before continuing.

"About a month ago, your mother began noticing the restlessness of the Ninjetti spirits and contacted Prince Trey asking him to record the translation of the scroll and send it to Earth. Rita has retrieved it and is on her way here with the Mystic Force rangers. They managed to survive the massacre in Briarwood," Zedd explained.

"I know this is going to sound disrespectful, but how does an ancient scroll tell us anything?" Conner asked, expecting the nudge that Kira gave him. Zedd chuckled.

"I used to ask Dulcea the same thing just to make her mad," he quipped.

"But the scroll will tell us what we need to know. The Chosen Twenty is what the passage in the scroll is called. We know Hunter is one, but it will reveal nineteen others that are destined to fight alongside him. However, every former ranger will have an important role in the preservation of the Earth and the survival of the human race, I assure you," Zedd said, his tone deeply serious now.

"This is all really deep man," Dustin mentioned.

"No doubt," Blake added, his mind still whirling.

"Dude, you being an alien makes so much sense though," Shane ribbed, nudging Hunter's arm.

"I knew that was coming," Hunter said with an eye roll.

"And don't forget a prince too," Dustin reminded, as they, including Cam, snickered.

"Hunter's a prince…that's a good one," Blake teased.

"Shut up…" Hunter grumbled, as he playfully shoved his little brother.

"And you wonder why people worry when they find out that you guys are supposed to save the world," Tori added dryly. The guys snickered again.

"Oh admit it Tor, you want to kiss your prince charming," Shane teased, batting his eyelashes dramatically. The kissy noises ensued and she playfully shoved him away.

"Ugh…you guys are so immature," Tori said, glaring at them.

"She's right. Maybe we should kill time and do something productive, like spar?" Cam suggested.

"That's actually a good idea. How long has it been since you've sparred, little bro?" Hunter asked. Blake sighed.

"I'm back five minutes and you're already on my case about this?" Blake complained.

"That long, huh?" Hunter teased.

"We'll see how cocky you are when I mop the floor with you," Blake boasted. Hunter scoffed.

"In your dreams. I may not be able to beat you on the track anymore, but we both know that sparring is my arena," Hunter challenged, as they circled.

"You're going down bro," Blake retorted, as he launched himself at the taller blonde. The spar soon caught everyone's attention, as the Bradley brothers shuffled along the full expanse of the room, trading blows and kicks.

"Wow…are those two always like this?" Kira mentioned to Tori, who smiled.

"More or less. Hunter can be pretty…intense sometimes," Tori mentioned, as she bit her bottom lip.

"Oh really?" Kira teased, nudging her friend. Tori smiled shyly, realizing what she had just said aloud. She shrugged.

"It must be a red thing. One minute he's being a goofball with the guys and the next he's giving me chills just with a look," Tori said quietly. Kira nodded.

"Conner is the same most of the time. I totally get it," Kira agreed.

Meanwhile, Blake continued his onslaught on his older brother, connecting with a spinning roundhouse. Hunter grunted at the blow, but blocked Blake's next punch, grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his back, effectively winning the match. Blake groaned, as Hunter grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet.

"Dude…it's worse than I thought. You're slipping big time," Hunter teased.

"Shut up…" Blake grumbled.

"I think that's Crimson-one, Navy-zero," Shane teased.

"All right, all right, I'll beef up my training regimen," Blake conceded, as they heard the Ops computer chime. Cam was on it and pulled up the schematics.

"There's a small craft heading toward here. I think it might be Billy, though he's earlier than expected. The ship is honed in around the coordinates I gave him," Cam called. Tommy nodded and looked to Tanya and Kat.

"Can you open the portal for us?" he asked. Cam nodded.

"Just head west. There's a clearing about half a mile and he should be landing there. I'll watch the monitors so I can reopen the portal when you get back," Cam said.

"Thanks Cam," Tommy said, as the three of them headed up the stairs.

"So…what do we do now?" Connor asked.

"More sparring. Ooze could send his goons any time, especially since I'm sure he knows we're building our numbers," Hunter said. Zedd smiled to himself, as he silently watched his nephew naturally take charge without even realizing it.

"Whoa…it's like a Power Ranger convention in here!" Kapri quipped, as she and Marah bounced down the stairs with six people following them.

"Where have you two been?" Cam questioned.

"Relax cousin…" Kapri complained.

"Yeah is that anyway to greet your awesome cousins?" Marah asked, as she greeted Dustin with a kiss on his cheek.

"For your information, Mr. I'm Such a Super Genius, we were on a mission for Sensei," Kapri added.

"Yeah, he sent us to get the Overdrive rangers," Marah said, as the five newest rangers and Mr. Hartford looked around in awe.

"Mr. Hartford, I'm Sensei Watanabe," Kanoi greeted.

"Thank you for contacting us. It looks like with what's going on we're in over our heads again," Mr. Hartford greeted in return.

"So, you're the newest red?" Eric asked, as he approached Mack. He nodded.

"Mack Hartford," he answered, holding out his hand to shake.

"Welcome Rookies," Eric said, shaking his hand.

"Rookies?" Will asked, a little offended.

"Don't be too offended. Eric considers everyone after Time Force as quote, Rookies," Wes replied, with a smirk. Shane raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked.

"Nothing personal kids," Eric retorted with a playful smirk. Shane's gaze steeled at being called a kid.

"Oh dude…it's on!" Dustin called.

"Care to spar a rookie then?" Shane asked.

"You mean me against you and crimson boy?" Eric asked. Hunter smirked.

"I'll spar you…if you can manage to get past Shane," Hunter challenged, eliciting whistles and calls all around the room.

"You sure that's a good idea, Eric? These guys are highly trained Ninjas," Wes warned. The Quantum ranger scoffed.

"Please Wes…stand back and you might learn something," Eric boasted. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we're about to watch you learn how to get your butt kicked," she mumbled. Eric strode confidently into the center and sunk into fighting stance, taunting Shane with a hand motion, daring him to charge. Shane smirked and quick as a flash, he pulled away his street clothes, revealing his black Ninja uniform, before sinking into fighting stance as well. Eric and Shane were about to charge when the Ops computer picked up another alert.

"Hold it!" Cam stopped them, as he checked the scanners.

"Guys, we've got trouble at Storm Chargers," Cam called.

"That's Adam," Kira called, pointing at the monitor.

"Rocky, Aisha, and their daughter too," Tori added.

"And Jason and Trini," Wes finally added.

"What the hell are those things?" Ronny asked, pointing out the oozing creatures.

"Ooze's henchmen," Conner said, clearly remembering his and Kira's encounter.

"Have Tommy meet us there when he gets back," Cam called to Hayley, as the other five Ninjas joined Shane in pulling away their street clothes and revealing their Ninja uniforms.

"Who else wants to learn how to do that?" Max asked, raising his hand. He shrunk back under Taylor's glare.

"Time for Time Force!" Wes called.

"Quantum Power!" Eric echoed.

"Let's go guys," Mack called, but his Dad held him back.

"We're sitting this one out for now, son," he said.

"But Dad, we can still morph!" Mack protested.

"Yeah and how well did that help against Thrax?" Conner questioned. Mack looked disheartened.

"No offense dude, but these guys make Thrax look like one of those campy villains from a Saturday morning cartoon. Most of us are out of our league," Conner explained. Mack nodded sadly and stood down.

"Can you teleport us to Storm Chargers?" Hunter asked.

"But our identities…" Cam argued.

"It's almost dark…and it doesn't matter anymore, not after we ran into those sector nine guys in Mariner Bay," Hunter argued back.

"He's right, people are going to get hurt if we don't get there now and Ninja streak will just waste energy," Shane added. Cam sighed.

"Fine. Everyone else standby in case we need reinforcements. I have a bad feeling about all this," Cam griped, as he initiated the teleportation sequence, teleporting the six of them and the two Time Force rangers to Storm Chargers.

* * *

"This is the place Hunter told us about," Adam said, as they parked outside the small shop called 'Storm Chargers'.

"Okay, I'll call Tommy," Jason said.

"Have you heard from Kim yet?" Aisha asked her predecessor.

"Not yet, but it's still early evening yet. I'm sure she'll be home and check her messages soon," Trini responded, as the sea air filled their nostrils.

"Mommy, look at the beach!" Olivia called, as Rocky picked her up so she could see the beautiful scene in the near distance.

"Pretty neat place, huh?" he asked with a grin. She nodded.

"Is this where Tori lives?" she asked. Aisha smiled.

"Sure is baby. We'll be seeing her soon," Aisha promised. Her statement was followed by a growling sound and they looked around in confusion.

"Crap…we're in trouble guys," Adam called, as Ivan's henchmen scrambled toward them from the beach.

"Damn it…Aisha, get Olivia out of here…" Rocky called. Aisha scooped their daughter up and ran inside the store.

"Can I help you?" Kelly asked.

"We need to hide. Do you have a backroom?" Aisha asked, as Kelly saw the creatures and gasped.

"Back here…" she motioned. She followed, as she heard her husband and friends key off, signaling that the fight had begun.

* * *

Tommy, Katherine, Aiden, and Tanya arrived in the small clearing just as the small ship landed.

"Mom…who is in there?" Aiden asked.

"He's an old friend. He was Earth's first blue ranger," Kat explained, as she knelt down beside him.

"He has a little girl who is a little younger than you and she just lost her Mommy. She and her Daddy are sad so I want you to be really nice to her, okay?" Kat whispered. Aiden nodded.

The craft's ramp dropped and the former Blue Wolf ranger slowly came down, carrying a tiny girl in his arms. He accepted the immediate hugs from Kat and Tanya, as his daughter looked on shyly.

"It's good to see you all," Billy said. His voice was hoarse and he looked like he hadn't slept in two days.

"You too man, we just wish it was under better circumstances," Tommy said softly. Billy nodded.

"This is my daughter Trina," he introduced.

"Billy…she's beautiful…" Kat said, as she knelt down beside Aiden.

"This is my son Aiden. He's not too much older than you Trina," Kat said. The little boy waved.

"Hi…" he said shyly.

"Hi…" she replied just as shyly.

"Is he yours?" Billy whispered to Tommy. The former white ranger shook his head.

"No…the dad isn't in the picture. I'll explain that later," Tommy replied, as his communicator chimed.

"This is Tommy," he answered.

"_Tom…Ooze's goons have ambushed Jason and the others at Storm Chargers," _Hayley informed.

"Damn it…can you teleport me there and the others back to Ops?" he asked.

"_I've got a lock," _Hayley replied.

"I guess he knows we're amassing our forces now," Billy said. Tommy nodded.

"Be careful Tommy," Kat warned. He nodded, as they were teleported. Blue Bay Harbor was under attack…


	12. Chapter 11: Survival

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 11! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**YellowPrincess**: Yeah, the kids are pretty cute and I'm glad Billy is back too, even if he is sad right now. Glad you're enjoying the story.

**Rin: **Sorry you're not big on fanfiction, but I'm glad you're enjoying mine. I try to keep people guessing with plot twists. Hope you stick around for more.

**Kh530: **So glad you're enjoying the story. I'm afraid though that I only know the bare basics about Mystic Force as I've only seen a couple episodes. The Mystic Force won't be playing large roles in this story and I don't know anything about Daggeron. Sorry.

**djAngelynn:** Yes, it is a bit darker. I didn't really want to kill rangers, but unfortunately I had to in order to drive home the gravity of the situation like you said. Glad you're enjoying the story.

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045:** The Chosen twenty? Well, this is your chapter then, because I reveal them. Glad you're enjoying the story

**Harry2: **Hmmm…I think you might be confused. Billy and Kat are not together in this story yet and never were before he went to Aquitar. Billy is really sad right now and Kat is pretty broken herself. This relationship will be a very slow build. Wedding bells for these two is so far off right now. Sorry to disappoint, but their coupling will be a minor pairing simply because it's going to happen so slowly. Kim/Tommy have history so they may develop a little faster, but I'll be focusing on the younger couples a lot, mainly Hunter/Tori and Conner/Kira quite a bit too. Glad you're enjoying the story though.

**FallingStar22:** Thanks for the great reviews and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything after that episode is AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 11: Survival

_And I'll light the fuse_  
_And I'll never lose_  
_And I choose to survive_  
_Whatever it takes_

_You won't pull ahead_  
_I'll keep up the pace_  
_And I'll reveal my strength_  
_To the whole human race_

_Yes I am prepared_  
_To stay alive_  
_And I won't forgive,_  
_Vengeance is mine_  
_And I won't give in_  
_Because I choose to thrive_

_Yeah, I'm gonna win!_

_**Song: Survival**_

_**Artist: Muse**_

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Jason delivered a split kick to two creatures, as more seemed to swarm around them, outnumbering them all five to one. He somersaulted and did a sweep kick, before one punched him in the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. Using his momentum, he was quickly back on his feet and side kicked it in the gut. It was a particularly nasty one and whipped its oozing dreadlocks, slashing Jason's arm. He cried out and pulled back the injured limb, finding red slashes along it. Jason glared and jumped, spinning his body into a flying kick, sending the creature sailing back into the side of the Storm Chargers building. Ooze splattered everywhere, as the creature became nothing but a puddle.

"We just have to hit them really hard!" Jason called.

"Easier said than done," Trini called. It was true. Getting the kind of momentum it was going to take wasn't easy without ranger powers and took a lot of energy. Their martial arts skills were only going to get them so far. They needed power behind their fists and feet.

"Quantum Defender!" Eric called, as he arrived with the others, wasting no time in shooting at the oozing creatures.

"Time Strike!" Wes called, as he joined Eric in blasting at the oncoming creatures. Tommy keyed off and kicked another with a spinning roundhouse, joining Jason and Trini. Rocky and Adam continued to battle, as Dustin and Shane arrived to help. The other four Ninjas kept the creatures from busting into Storm Chargers where Aisha guarded her daughter and Kelly. Red and yellow energy shot out several times from Shane and Dustin, but using their Ninja energies so frequently was quickly tiring them all out.

Pressing on, Cam and Blake continued to keep them at bay, each managing to kill two, with a blast of green samurai energy and navy thunder.

Hunter and Tori fought back to back, combining their kicks and punches for more impact, but it was only holding them back. Tori blasted another with water, not noticing another coming at her from the side. It whipped its dreadlocks and she gasped, realizing she didn't have time to evade.

"TORI!" Hunter cried, as he pulled her back and slammed his foot into the creature's face. Tori held onto his arms and propelled her feet into a scissor kick, flipping it onto its back. Hunter grabbed the creature and tossed it away, intending to give himself more room for a flying kick. But to his and Tori's amazement, the creature went flying into the wall of a building nearly half a block down.

"Whoa…that was some throw, dude!" Dustin noticed. Hunter looked at his hands in disbelief, but had no time to ponder how he had done that.

"Let's try that new combo attack we've been working on. These things are really grossing me out," Tori called. He smirked.

"Guess it's a good opportunity to test it," he replied, as they each willed their respective elements, concentrating them each into a medium sized sphere. Flails of energy whipped around them violently, as they slowly fused water and thunder, which caused the dangerous sphere of energy to now crackle violently, as it became a deep amethyst color. They nodded to each other and launched the energy at two oncoming creatures, which exploded upon contact, ooze flying everywhere, including all over just about everyone.

"This just keeps getting nastier by the minute," Blake complained, as he tried to fling ooze off his hands.

"Can you two do another one of those?" Jason called. Hunter and Tori attempted to catch their breath.

"We'll try," Hunter said, as they created another fusion attack and killed two more. After that, Tori stumbled slightly, as exhaustion started to take over. Hunter caught her and steadied her.

"I'm fine," she insisted, as she regained her composure. A scream from inside Storm Chargers captured their attention and they ran inside, only to find several terrorizing Aisha and Kelly in the back room.

"We need to get them out," Hunter called. Tori took Aisha's hand and they made their way out.

"Come on Kelly!" Hunter cried, as he put his hand out and kicked another creature away.

Tori made her way back inside to see if there was anyone else trapped. Hunter got Kelly out when he heard Tori scream, as a support beam from the ceiling came crashing down, thanks to the creature's destructive blasts made at the ceiling.

"TORI!" Hunter screamed in horror, as he Ninja streaked to her, evading the beam. It crashed down, bringing chunks of the roof with it. They huddled together against the wall, as debris came down around them. Satisfied that they were no longer a threat, the two creatures went to terrorize the others outside.

"This whole place is going to come down," Tori said, coughing, as she inhaled too much dust.

"We have to get out of here," Hunter called, as he took her hand. He heard her cry out suddenly.

"My foot…it's trapped," Tori cried. He looked down and noticed that it had yet to crush her ankle, but was putting plenty of pressure on it. Grunting, he tried to lift it to no avail. More dust and debris rained down on them.

"GUYS I NEED HELP!" Hunter screamed, but no one could get to them.

"Hunter…" Tori whimpered, as she started to realize that they might not get out before it collapsed.

"We're getting out Tor," he assured her, as he kept trying to lift it. Sweat poured down his face and he cursed, as it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, he heard the roaring in his ears and this time, instead of trying to get rid of it, he welcomed it. Tori watched in amazement, as he lifted the chunk of concrete enough for her to get her ankle out. He dropped it and they Ninja streaked out of the store, just as it collapsed in on itself. The ten of them that were not morphed huddled together in exhaustion, as Wes and Eric sought to end the remaining six creatures quickly.

"Wes…use the battlelizer. None of us can keep this up much longer," Eric suggested.

"If I'm using the battlelizer on foot soldiers, then we're in serious trouble," Wes grumbled, as he called his armor and unleashed the massive battle blast, engulfing the remaining creatures. A huge puddle of ooze was all that remained and they breathed a sigh of relief. Wes and Eric powered down and shared a serious look with Tommy and Jason. Those were just foot soldiers and if Ivan decided to get serious, then they were going to have big problems.

"My store…" Kelly cried.

"We're sorry Kel…" Shane tried to console her.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"Uh…we're under alien attack?" Dustin offered. The redhead stamped her foot down.

"That's obvious, but what the hell was all this?" Kelly demanded.

"There's no point in hiding it any longer," Hunter told Shane.

"Hiding what? Tell me what's going on?" Kelly demanded.

"Well, you remember Lothor?" Shane asked.

"That alien creep four years ago?" Kelly asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah…" Shane said, trying to find the words. Hunter, never one to mince words, just came out with it.

"We were the six rangers that defeated him. Most of the others here besides Wes and Eric, who are obviously still active, are former rangers from previous teams and we're all gathering, because this new evil makes Lothor look like nothing," Hunter said bluntly.

"We're really sorry about your store, Kel, but you're going to need to come with us now for your protection," Shane tried to explain. She threw her hands up.

"Go where?" she asked. Dustin scratched his head.

"Dude…you better just trust us and go with it," Dustin suggested.

"Hayley, I need you to teleport us all back," Cam said into his communicator. Before Kelly could question anything else, all present were swept up by a teleportation beam.

* * *

Once they arrived back at Ninja Ops, most of them collapsed in near exhaustion. After taking a few breaths, Hunter surprised Tori by scooping her up and carrying her to the medical table.

"Hunter…what are you doing?" she questioned.

"Your ankle needs looked at," he replied.

"It's fine. It's a little tender, but it's not broken," she insisted.

"You need to let Cam look at it," he insisted, as the others watched the two argue back and forth.

"Cam, will you tell Hunter that my ankle is fine?" Tori asked, steeling her gaze on her boyfriend.

"Cam, will you tell Tori that you need to look at it anyway?" Hunter asked, meeting her gaze.

"Or Cam could tell you both to shut up and let him work," Cam responded dryly, as he looked at Tori's bruised ankle, before running his scanner over it.

"It's just bruised thankfully," Cam concluded.

"See?" Tori asked, eyeing him with a "told you so" look.

"Be that as it may, Tori, just a few more minutes and it probably would have been a lot worse. Just try to go easy on it for a few days," Cam advised. Hunter gave her a nod and she huffed.

"Easier said than done," she replied.

"Yeah, that was totally brutal out there," Dustin added.

"If you'll allow me to use your communication system, I should be able to contact Rita and then maybe we can get a lock on them to teleport," Zedd suggested. Cam nodded, as he led him to the Ops computer.

"What now?" Conner asked. Tommy sighed.

"If Ooze gets serious and decides to send more than his foot soldiers, then we're in real trouble," Jason said.

"We need to figure out who is going to Phaedos soon so hopefully we can get Rita here tonight. Then we need to all get some rest before heading out in the morning," Tommy said.

"My mansion can also be used as a base of sorts. There are plenty of rooms to go around. I'm sure Hayley and I can establish an easy teleportation link between here and there," Mr. Hartford chimed in.

"Thank you Andrew," Tommy said gratefully. Having the financial support of Mr. Hartford, Wes and his father, and Anton Mercer were going to be essential.

"My father is behind us morally and financially. There's plenty of rooms in the mansion and a place to set up another base of operations as well," Wes offered.

"If we could get to the Animarium, we could get our growl phones," Taylor mumbled.

"Why can't you get to the Animarium?" Tommy asked.

"Something's cutting them off. I can't get a hold of anyone from Time Force in the future either. Something's blocking us," Wes clarified.

"Ooze no doubt," Tommy growled.

"We need to establish a communication system with each other and I'm not talking cell phones. It's child's play for his scientists to tap into the cell towers and I wouldn't be surprised if he takes them out soon anyway," Billy chimed in.

"Yeah and if this sector nine knows all about us, then they're probably monitoring the cell chatter too," Eric mentioned. They nodded in agreement.

"Do you think you have the equipment to build new communicators here?" Jason asked. Billy shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but I know a place that has everything we need. I just need help," Billy replied.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Bill, but Divatox's goons trashed the power chamber years ago," Tommy said. Billy smirked.

"I really doubt they got to all the underground catacombs. I just need to get there," Billy replied.

"I dropped Alpha there before we came here to see what he could do. Maybe if we're in luck, he's at least got the comm system up and running," Adam said. Billy smiled, the first smile they had seen since he arrived.

"Good thinking. Jase, hand me your communicator," Billy said. Jason took it off his wrist and they watched the genius examine it.

"Nice screen. I should have done that years ago," Billy mentioned. Jason smirked.

"Trini did it, but it still has the same annoying chime," Jason replied. Billy winced, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Yeah, I'll have to fix that too," he said, as he started making adjustments. However, he lacked tools, so he knelt down and motioned to his little girl.

"Trina, come here," he called. She toddled to her father and he held the device up to her.

"Daddy needs your small fingers. Can you twist the yellow wire with the blue?" he asked. She nodded eagerly and went to work, flooring the others in amazement.

"Does…she understand this stuff already?" Jason asked. Billy nodded.

"She's smarter than I was at her age," he informed them, practically glowing with pride. Trina pulled back her tiny fingers and let her father examine her work. Billy smiled and kissed her hair.

"You did it princess, thank you," Billy told her. She beamed and then scampered off, going back to playing with Olivia. Though the girls had just met, they were fast friends. Kat's son sat with them, enjoying the interaction with other children, something he didn't get outside of school because of his and Kat's situation.

"Billy to power chamber…" he called into the device, hoping he had the right frequency. There was a little static, but then they heard the familiar robotic voice of Alpha.

"_Aye yi yi…Billy is that you?"_ Alpha asked.

"Yes, it's me Alpha. Listen, I need you to start working on new secure communication system to connect all ranger communication devices together. I'll get there to help you when I can, but for now, we're counting on you Alpha," Billy said.

"_You can count on me rangers,"_ Alpha promised. Billy let out a sigh of relief.

"I've got them. They should be at the waterfall in just a few seconds. I'll open the portal," Cam called. Zedd jogged up the stairs and returned a few minutes later with Rita and the Mystic Force team.

"Wow…this place is definitely _not_ Rootcore," Chip said, as the Mystic Force team followed Rita into Ninja Ops.

"That waterfall thing was some pretty cool magic," Xander mentioned, trying to keep upbeat, as he spotted Kira and walked over to her.

"Kira, beautiful," Xander greeted with a surprise hug. Kira shook her head in amusement and hugged him back.

"Good to see you too, Xander," she said, as Conner eyed the guy in green suspiciously. Kira broke away and motioned to Conner.

"Xander, this is my boyfriend Conner McKnight," Kira introduced.

"Oh right…the baseball star," Xander said, shaking his hand exuberantly.

"Soccer," Conner replied quickly.

"Right…soccer," Xander responded, with a wink, as he moved on.

"He's charming," Conner drawled, as Kira rolled her eyes.

"He's harmless. He flirts with every girl," Kira assured him, as they saw the self-proclaimed lady's man drift around the room, seemingly in heaven as he spied all the beautiful former ranger women.

"He's so embarrassing," Vida growled in annoyance.

"He better be careful. Reds really don't like it when you mess with their women," Chip mentioned, tossing a glance to Nick. The red Mystic shrugged and slid his arm around Madison's waist with a smirk. The two hadn't much of a chance to talk yet, but it was obvious that the feelings between them were as strong as ever.

"Tori…my gorgeous little surfer girl," Xander greeted with a hug, immediately catching Hunter's attention. She laughed.

"Hello Xander," Tori replied, hugging him back.

"Guys, this is Xander. We teamed up to help the Overdrive rangers," Tori introduced.

"Tori here has some great moves, but I'm guessing you guys know that," Xander said, wriggling his eyebrows playfully. Tori swatted his arm playfully.

"These are my friends. Shane, Dustin, Cam, Blake and this is my boyfriend Hunter," Tori introduced. Hunter gave a curt nod.

"A pleasure mate. Tori here is one heck of a woman," Xander mentioned. Hunter slid his arm around her waist.

"She is," the crimson ranger agreed.

"Man, you reds get all the beauties," Xander added in envy.

"Crimson actually," Hunter responded.

"Pardon?" Xander asked.

"My ranger color is crimson actually…you know, like the color of blood," Hunter reiterated, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Tori. She rolled her eyes, as she heard snickers of amusement from just about all the others, particularly from the other four male members of her team.

"Dude, get some popcorn. This is gonna be good," Shane said. By the look on Xander's face, he had clearly gotten Hunter's not so subtle message.

"Riiight…well, nice meetin' you," Xander said nervously, as he moved on.

"You want popcorn at a time like this?" Dustin asked, confused by his request. Shane rolled his eyes and Cam chuckled in amusement.

"Never mind dude," Shane responded when Dustin's eyes suddenly lit up in recognition.

"Oh, I get it now!" Dustin laughed. Tori shook her head in amusement.

"That guy better keep his hands where I can see them next time," Hunter said.

"Oh please, like you should be worried, thunder boy," Tori said, playfully grabbing him by the collar, bringing his face close. He smirked, as she attempted one of her glares that usually made Shane and Dustin run for cover.

"Never said I was, water nymph. You're mine," he replied in a husky tone. She smirked coyly.

"Prove it," she ordered, as he drew her lips into a passionate kiss. Their teammates groaned.

"Forget the popcorn and get the barf bags," Shane complained, earning a real glare from Tori, as her lips parted from her crimson ranger's.

"Maybe if you guys would get lives of your own, you wouldn't be stuck watching Hunter and me," Tori retorted.

"Maybe if you and Hunter didn't make out everywhere, we wouldn't always be forced to watch," Shane shot back. Their banter was about to continue, until Tommy, Zedd, and Sensei Watanabe moved to the front of the room and commanded their attention.

Zedd held the Legendary Scroll of Fire in his hands and the recording that would translate it for them.

"Would you do the honors, Cameron?" Zedd asked, as he handed the young Samurai the disk. Cam nodded and slid it into the slot on the console, pressing play. The humble visage of Trey of Triforia appeared before them.

"_Greetings Power Rangers of Earth. If you are watching this recording, then it is likely that I have not survived to come to you with my message in person. Several weeks ago, Dulcea, Master Warrior of Phaedos called me to her Temple. The spirits of the Ninjetti are restless and she believes a time of great evil is about to come upon the universe. The time to reawaken the powers of the Ninjetti will soon be at hand. But they, along with the rest of the chosen twenty will be led by the Phoenix once more. The Chosen warrior will rise and merge with his destiny. Fire will awaken in his soul. Thunder will tremble from his fingertips and the firebird will avenge all the victims taken by evil. The burden of destiny that you must shoulder will not be done alone. Nineteen others shall stand by your side. Ten experienced warriors of the light who served before you, the Falcon's four young charges, and the five that have stood beside the Phoenix in battle all along. Only together with the Legendary power that lies in wait for its chosen bearers can save the Universe. The Scroll does not speak of the outcome of the final battle, but I am confident that the son of Zander can rid the Universe of the evil that threatens all sentient beings," _the prince paused, before looking up again.

"_Hunter…I know that this undertaking may seem like too much to ask of you. Your parents never wanted it this way, I assure you. But you must accept your destiny and must not wait. Heed this warning and take your team to Phaedoes. Your Mother waits for you…" _Trey said, as the recording ended, leaving the air in the room thick with emotion, as they absorbed the fallen prince's words.

Jason clenched his teeth and balled his fists.

"Trey was a friend…the bastard is gonna pay," he spat.

"How do we know which ten he is talking about though? There were originally twelve of us in all," Rocky reminded, referring to what was often coined as the original twelve in ranger history. Tommy shook his head.

"I don't think Justin is included in this. He didn't take over for you until we had the turbo powers and even then it was only because we had no choice with your injury. That leaves eleven of us," Tommy said.

"I don't think we can count Zack in. I talked to him and he's not coming. His wife Angela wants him having nothing to do with being a ranger again and he loves us, but he doesn't want to be a ranger again either," Jason stated.

"Guess that leaves the rest of us, except we're missing one," Billy said, looking pointedly at Tommy. He sighed.

"Kimberly," he said.

"I'm still waiting for her to call me back," Trini responded.

"She's probably not going to take it well either," Adam said.

"Kim's our girl. She'll do what she has to for family. If we have to become rangers again to protect our family and this is a family even if most of us are still getting to know of each other, then she'll be right there with us," Aisha said, as she stroked her daughter's hair. Her feisty speech brought smiles to most of the faces in the room.

"Mama bear is mad," Jason teased. Aisha smirked.

"Mama bear is ready to tear that disgusting slime ball apart and those ridiculous sector nine creeps too," Aisha added.

"Yeah, as if we didn't have enough problems," Tommy grumbled.

"You guys ran into them. How serious do you think they are?" Adam asked. Hunter and Tori exchanged a glance.

"They knew personal stuff about me that only Tori, Blake, and Sensei Omino know about," Hunter confessed.

"I'm in in the FBI and I've never even heard of them. That means they're completely off the grid," Jason said.

"I don't want to scare anyone, but they told us if they could they would lock us all up for vigilantism," Wes said, eliciting gasps, especially from the youngest team.

"But we haven't done anything wrong!" Vida exclaimed.

"In their eyes, we hold ourselves above the law. They hate it because they can't control us," Eric replied.

"Locking us up is obviously not something they could easily pull off and so their next conclusion will be to try and force us to work for them, especially when they find out most of us are rangers again," Wes said.

"But we would never do that," Rocky refuted. Wes looked the other red ranger in the eye.

"Would you if they held your daughter's life over your head?" Wes questioned. Rocky shrunk back, as the realization struck him.

"This is crazy…isn't our government supposed to protect the people?" Chip asked. Several red rangers, including his own leader, tossed him a look.

"Yeah and we're not saying everyone in the government is bad, but we're under alien attack. There are those that wait for opportunities like this one to grab for power. Imagine the kind of sway the wrong person could have if they had rangers "working" for them," Tommy said.

"When we get back from Phaedos, I need to get to the power chamber and see if I can access any of Zordon's files. He planned for everything. I just have to find what he wants us to find," Billy said.

"We still need to get Kim," she said.

"Cam, can you teleport Trini and me to Emerald Falls? We can't wait any longer," Jason said. Cam nodded, as he tapped away on the Ops computer.

"Trent and Ethan need to get here too. They're the final ones we're waiting on," Tommy said.

"I talked to Ethan earlier and he wasn't being cooperative. He said he'd try to get here in a few days," Conner said. Tommy shook his head.

"Not good enough. Cam, do you think you can teleport Conner and me to Boston?" Tommy asked. Cam nodded and tossed him and Jason a small device for each.

"That will allow you both to call me when you're ready to come back and allow me to track you," Cam said. Tommy nodded and pocketed the device, as did Jason.

"I'm coming too," Kira said, as she grabbed Conner's hand. Neither bothered to argue with her and the three of them disappeared in a flash of light. Jason and Trini were next, on their way to retrieve Kimberly.

"The rest of you should try and get some rest," Cam suggested. After hashing it out amongst themselves, it was decided that Mystic Force and the remainder of Lightspeed would go to the Hartford mansion with the Overdrive team and Wild Force would go to the Collins mansion with Wes and Eric. Cam teleported them there respectively for the night. The extra bedrooms within the living area of the school were taken by the rest, while those that lived in Blue Bay Harbor went home. Between the two of them, Kanoi and Hayley convinced Cam that they could stay up and wait for Tommy and Jason to make contact, being that he would be joining the others on the journey to Phaedos the next day. Reluctantly, Cam agreed and shared his room with Blake, as they all attempted to get some sleep…


	13. Chapter 12: Stop and Stare

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 11! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**J&A Fan 2000: **Thanks, I'm really glad you like the story. I hope I don't disappoint you too much, but at this point Jungle Fury will not come into play. Everything is completely AU now and I only watched a couple JF episodes. I just couldn't get into it. Some of the things I have planned for this story are AU and there will likely be nothing canon in this story beyond the point of "Once a Ranger".

**Rin: **Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and you appreciate the small details. I love those small details too. I think they're really important in connecting with the characters.

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045:** Thanks! So glad you're enjoying it so much. I'm having a lot of fun writing it myself. I'm glad you're happy with the team choice. These are my favorite PR seasons and my favorite characters. Only Kim, Ethan, and Trent are left to gather and this is the chapter. Enjoy!

**Harry2: **Yep, just Kim, Ethan, and Trent are left to gather. And Hunter has accepted his destiny, though with reluctance. He'll have his issues, but he also has Tori to keep him grounded. Glad you're enjoying the story.

**djAngelynn:** Glad you enjoyed it so much. Yes, I have a lot of surprises in store when it comes to Hunter's powers. I struggled with the decision to leave Zack out too. Originally, it was the chosen 22, but I never really liked Justin so then it became the chosen 21. But with the upcoming powers and situations, I'm afraid Zack just didn't fit and 20 was the number that worked. Plus, I'll be delving into things later about the rangers' number of failed relationships they've all had. So far, Zack is the only one that is with someone that's not a ranger or strongly connected to rangers. And to make it work, he had to cut ties with that life completely. Not all of them are able to do that and be happy. It's a concept I find interesting and will probably explore more in the story. Anyway, hope you enjoy this installment too. Thanks for your reviews.

AN 2: Warning, this chapter is rated a strong T. Nothing super graphic, but adult situations ahead. Mentions and illusions to sex. This Power Ranger story isn't for kids. Full versions of love scenes are available at my yahoo group, The Wolf and the Kat. The link is in my profile if you're interested in joining.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 12: Stop and Stare

_Stop and stare  
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere  
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared  
But I've become what I can't be, oh  
Stop and stare  
You start to wonder why you're here not there  
And you'd give anything to get what's fair  
But fair ain't what you really need  
Oh, can you see what I see_

_**Song: Stop and Stare**_

_**Artist: OneRepublic**_

* * *

**_Ivan Ooze's spaceship_**

**_In orbit of Earth _**

Ivan Ooze chuckled, as he watched the Red Time Force ranger having to resort to using his pitiful battleizer against his foot soldiers.

"This is almost too easy," Ivan scoffed, as he surveyed the battle. They were skilled warriors, of that, there was no doubt. To last and survive unmorphed against some of his powerful, yet less than superbly intelligent foot soldiers was commendable. If he were to unleash even one of the weakest monsters in his army, it would be over. But torturing them was all too entertaining. Xinshing and his Duronian army were among his most powerful warriors, but his army also consisted of many other powerful, formidable warriors from across the Universe. Worlds he held within the palm of his hand. It was laughable how his weakest soldier could crush even the strongest opponent that any ranger team had faced thus far. He had observed the fools that were seeking the jewels of Corona Aurora and being thwarted by the pitifully inexperienced rangers known as 'Operation Overdrive'. He had continued to let them go about their business so far, but even those fools had taken notice of Xinshing and Toxa's devastation in Mariner Bay and Briarwood. His continued allowance of their exploits would solely depend on them, of course. He was running this show and they would either serve him or be destroyed. It mattered not to him.

"Father…I have been observing the crimson one as you ordered," Toxa said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Any developments?" Ivan questioned.

"Perhaps more than we anticipated," Toxa responded, as she brought up the recent battle, showing the former crimson ranger throwing one of his henchmen with a force that could only be described as super strength.

"I did some research and this Hunter Bradley was adopted by two thunder ninjas as an infant," Toxa said.

"And why is that important?" Ivan questioned.

"There is no record of his birth on Earth…anywhere. It's as if he just appeared to the Bradley's one day. I even pulled the birth certificate that the humans have on record. It's a forgery, but no one has ever questioned the validity. He wasn't born at the time or place that the record states," Toxa explained. Ivan clenched his teeth and tried to calm his anger.

"This has Zordon's stench all over it," he growled.

"My Lord, allow me go and take care of him for you before he can become a threat. He sleeps now and he would be no match in a battle with me," Xinshing offered. Ivan balled his fists and purple lightning crackled around him violently.

"No…if he is in anyway related to Zander, then he is mine!" Ivan screamed.

"I never got the chance to make Zander pay for what he did to me…but if this Hunter Bradley is related to him, then I will have my revenge through him," Ivan growled.

"But Father, if he is the Phoenix…" Toxa protested, but he cut her off.

"It does not matter. I am far more powerful than I once was and this…brat hasn't even come into his full powers yet. Zander had experience with his abilities and this _boy_ has none of that. He will fall, but not before he suffers for Zander's crimes against me," Ivan growled, as he stormed off the bridge, intending to check the progress on his massive weapons that were under construction.

* * *

**_Boston_**

**_Dorm Room of Ethan James_**

Ethan James lay slumped over his desk, having fallen asleep studying for his finals. As superior as his intellect had seemed compared to others in high school, he had quickly found out that he was more commonplace at MIT, meeting others with far superior intellect than his. He had breezed through most of his high school assignments and that had always left him with time on his hands. MIT had changed all that and had caught Ethan off guard at first, as he wasn't used to having to study quite so much for good grades. He had adjusted well enough and was doing very well, but it did not come as easy here as it had at Reefside High.

An incessant knocking slowly pulled the former blue Dino ranger from his sleep and he groaned, as he realized that he had fallen asleep in a very uncomfortable position. The knocking continued and he glanced at the clock.

"Who the hell is here at one in the morning?" he griped, as he stumbled toward the door. Ethan rubbed his eyes, as he came face to face with his former teammates.

"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded, as Conner, Kira, and Dr. Oliver filed into his dorm room.

"Come right on in," Ethan mumbled in irritation.

"Sorry Ethan, but we have an emergency on our hands. Pack your stuff quickly so I can call Hayley and have her teleport us back," Tommy ordered.

"Whoa…teleport?" Ethan asked.

"I told you to get your stuff and get back to Blue Bay Harbor. I wasn't kidding," Conner bit back.

"Not all of us can just up and leave, you know. I have finals, jock boy," Ethan shot back.

"And if we don't stop Ivan Ooze, then tomorrow is pretty iffy and next week isn't looking too good either," Kira retorted.

"Ivan Ooze?" Ethan asked.

"We'll explain when we get back to Ninja Ops. Just get your stuff," Tommy ordered.

"Why us? We don't have powers anymore and neither do the Ninja rangers. What can we do?" Ethan questioned.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're one of chosen twenty to quest for new powers. We don't do this, then you might as well say goodbye to our planet," Conner responded bluntly. Ethan blew out a frustrated breath.

"What am I supposed to tell my professors?" Ethan asked.

"You can e-mail them and tell them you have a family emergency. When all this is over, hopefully we can straighten everything out. I'm sorry Ethan, but none of us really have a choice in any of this," Tommy apologized.

"Yeah, if you think Mesagog was bad…then imagine him times ten and that's what we're up against," Kira added. Ethan sighed.

"Fine…give me ten minutes," he grumbled, as he went to pack. Once he finished, the four of them teleported back to Ninja Ops.

* * *

**_Emerald Falls_**

**_Home of Kimberly Hart_**

Kimberly Ann Hart tossed her gym bag onto the loveseat, as she sifted through her mail. It had been another long day of training potential Olympians and she was exhausted. She just wanted to sit down for a few minutes and try to decompress, before she would get up to do it all over again tomorrow. Her life hadn't exactly gone as planned, but she had a fairly successful career thus far. Her love life was a completely different story. After breaking up with Tommy, she had competed in the Pan Global Games and won the all-around silver medal in 1998, finishing just hundredths of points behind another competitor. Her golden dreams had become silver and she set her sights on the Olympic games that would take place in Sydney in 2000. Things had been exactly on track, as she successfully won the gold at the 1999 World Championships. She was on cloud nine, not only achieving all her gymnastic dreams, but also in love and engaged to her boyfriend Max Jarvis. He had been a young assistant on Coach Schmidt's staff during her Pan Globals training and she had fallen head over heels in love with him. Her breakup with Tommy had been the cowardly way to go, but he had convinced her that she just didn't have time to take a trip to Angel Grove to let him down easy if she wanted to medal at the Pan Globals. So going against everything she had learned as a ranger, she wrote that letter. In hindsight, it was the biggest mistake of her life. She didn't discover that for a few years though and continued her pursuit of gold. After becoming world champion, she could almost taste Olympic gold. Until three weeks before the Olympic trials. She had done the vault a hundred times, but the accident happened anyway. She didn't get enough rotation and landed wrong on her ankle, twisting it badly. She nursed the ankle for the next couple weeks, hoping she could still compete. But her dreams came crashing down at the Olympic trials when she sat down on her first vault, her ankle giving out on her. It had been over then. She didn't make the 2000 Olympic team and as if that hadn't been bad enough, she caught Max cheating on her with another gymnast a few months later. It seemed he had not been interested in dating, much less marrying, someone that wasn't going to achieve Olympic stardom.

After resting her ankle, she returned to training in 2001, hoping to begin her long journey to the 2004 games. But it wasn't meant to be. By then, she was in her twenties and almost considered past her prime in her sport. Add to that, a hamstring injury kept her from competing in the 2002 World Championships and Kimberly made the painful decision to retire from competitive gymnastics. She decided to go to college after that at the University of Florida to get her teaching degree and then moved to Emerald Falls, California in 2005 to take a coaching position at a relatively well known gymnastics school. She had ambitions of opening her own gym someday, but for now, she was hoping that coaching the next gymnastics superstar would further her career aspirations. Even though she fell short of her Olympic dreams, she didn't consider that her biggest failure. That slot was reserved for her relationship with Tommy. She broke his heart and her own, even though she didn't realize what she had lost until just a few years ago. True love often came around only once and she had a string of failed relationships to prove it. Her Falcon was the one, but after the way she treated him, she couldn't get up the courage to face him. She wouldn't blame him if he hated her and she believed she didn't deserve his consideration, much less his forgiveness. Cutting herself off from most of her friends had been the only way to deal with the pain.

She set the mail down on the table and noticed the blinking on her answering machine.

"_Kim…this is Trini, please call me immediately when you get this. We have a serious situation on our hands,"_ the first message played. Kim's brow furrowed in confusion, as she played the second one.

"_Kim…it's Trini again. I really have to talk to you. It's urgent, as in Zordon urgent," _Trini's message said. Kimberly gasped. She knew that meant it was ranger related, but what could she do? Her ranger days were long passed, all theirs were. She jumped, as there was a sudden urgent knocking at her door. Pausing the answering machine, she slowly approached the door. Behind it, she found Jason and Trini.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kim asked, as they came in.

"Do you ever answer your cell phone?" Jason demanded.

"I've been working all day. I just got home," Kimberly defended herself.

"I'm sorry Kim, it's just been a really stressful day," Trini apologized.

"What's going on?" Kim asked.

"Ivan Ooze…that's what," Jason replied.

"That's impossible…he's cosmic dust," Kim refuted.

"Was…he's back, he's more powerful, and has an entire army at his disposal. Twenty of us have been chosen to journey back to Phaedos and the scroll says you're one of them, so go pack your stuff and let's go," Jason said firmly. Kim glared at him. She had not missed his bossiness.

"I can't just leave, Jase. I have a lot of kids depending on me," Kim stated.

"The only way you're going to do them any good is to ranger up again. Ooze isn't playing games this time!" Jason argued.

"I don't care! I'm not the same person anymore and I'm not going back! You'll have to find someone else!" Kimberly screamed.

"Jason…this isn't helping!" Trini said, trying to calm him down.

"Fine…I'll just tell Billy that his wife was just murdered for nothing! That Trey and the Phantom ranger have been killed for nothing! That Chad and Joel died for nothing! Mariner Bay and Briarwood are in shambles!" Jason cried. Kimberly shrunk back.

"Billy's wife?" Kimberly squeaked, as Jason paced.

"Aquitar was attacked about the same time as Triforia. They killed Trey and took over his planet. But after Cestria and the Aquitian rangers were killed, they destroyed the planet. Billy and his daughter barely made if off alive," Trini said quietly. Kimberly felt her legs give out, as she sat down, running her hands through her hair. How selfish she felt now that the gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She understood all too clearly now. If she didn't do this, then there would be no Earth.

"Give me ten minutes to pack," she said, as she ran to her room. When she returned, she felt Jason's hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I screamed…I didn't mean to. I…It's just hitting me harder than I thought it would, especially Trey's death and Billy's pain…it's so …" Jason said, but Kimberly hugged him in response, cutting him off.

"Don't apologize…let's go kick that disgusting slime ball's ass, but this time, we better make sure he's really gone," Kimberly said. Jason nodded with a half-smile.

"So…Phaedos again?" she asked. He nodded.

"It's one hell of a story," Jason replied, as Trini handed Kimberly a small device with a screen.

"Watch this and it will tell you the back story. You'll meet everyone else in the morning. For now, we'll teleport back to Ninja Ops in Blue Bay Harbor," Trini explained. Kimberly sighed, as she prepared to dive back into a life she had sworn she'd never return to.

* * *

**_Blue Bay Harbor_**

**_Apartment of Hunter Bradley and Tori Hanson_**

His lips dueled with hers in a passionate rhythm, as sounds of their lovemaking filled the darkened bedroom. Her sapphire gaze burned into his silvery/blue one, they made love.

The fires and spark of passion between them undeniable. The love in their eyes told that their coupling was so much more than just physical and came to an ultimate climax. Tori pressed a kiss to his forehead, as he slowly pulled himself from her hot depths. They lay together, blissfully sated, bathing in the afterglow.

"We should probably get some sleep," she mentioned, as she cuddled against him.

"Yeah…I guess we should," he replied, with apprehension in his voice.

"Are you nervous…about meeting your real mother tomorrow?" she asked.

"Maybe a little…I guess I really don't know what to expect. Maybe I'm more nervous that there's probably no way I'll ever live up to the expectations she must have for me. I mean…you heard the story of my dad. Ivan Ooze was virtually no match for him and I can barely take down a few of his foot soldiers," he muttered.

"If I remember correctly from the story, he had ranger powers, particularly powerful ones and more experience. And if I also remember, the Phoenix doesn't choose just anyone," she reminded.

"I hope you're right," he replied.

"I usually am, Thunder boy," she reminded. He chuckled.

"If you say so, water nymph," he replied. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I love you," she said. He smiled.

"I love you too," he replied. Sleep soon claimed them both, entwined in each other's arms.

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

Ethan rolled over and felt the sensation of falling. Unfortunately for him, it was real and he hit the floor. Fortunately for him, it wasn't a long drop from the air mattress that he was sleeping on in Cam's room. He got up and looked around, finding that both Blake and Cam were gone. Glancing at the clock, he groaned. It was only four hours later than when he left Boston. Granted, he was on California time now, but it was still really early. After finding a bathroom, he stumbled out into the living area of the school where Cam and his father lived. He smelled food and slowly walked into the kitchen. He saw Kira helping make breakfast with a few people he only recognized from Dr. O's ranger video diary.

"Morning Eth," Kira greeted, as she poured him a cup of coffee.

"Uh, thanks. What's going on and why is everyone up at this God awful hour?" he asked. A tall, beautiful blonde smiled.

"Sorry, but we need to get an early start," she spoke in an Australian accent.

"Yeah, have you forgotten already?" Kira asked. Ethan shook his head.

"I was hoping you guys barging into my dorm room last night was a dream. Where is our fearless, soccer playing leader anyway?" Ethan asked.

"Conner is watching the show," Kira replied.

"Show?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"Yeah, apparently this isn't early for the Ninja rangers. They're training out back and so naturally, Tommy, Jason, and Adam are out there salivating for their turn to spar," Aisha said.

"That leaves us to cook breakfast for this brood," Rocky said, as he ate another piece of bacon.

"If you keep eating everything you cook, we're never going to get done," Aisha scolded her husband.

"I'm Katherine by the way. You're one of Tommy's students, aren't you?" she asked. He nodded.

"Ethan James," he replied.

"Rocky Desantos,"

"Aisha Desantos,"

"Nice to meet you, is there anything I can do to help?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, you can help Rocky set up the tables," Aisha said. Ethan nodded and went to work.

"So you guys go way back with Dr. O, huh?" Ethan asked.

"Oh yeah," Rocky said. Ethan grinned.

"Got any good stories?" he asked.

"You bet," Rocky replied, grinning mischievously.

* * *

Hunter and Shane smirked at each other, as they traded blocks and kicks, sparring along the expanse of the platform, while the others observed. It was early, but the excitement of the spar already had blood pumping. They were almost all gathered. Trent would be there in a couple hours and then they would leave for Phaedos. Wes, Eric, and the Overdrive rangers would be standing by. Their departure would likely not go unnoticed by Ivan Ooze and he would take some sort of action, they were sure.

Jason spotted Kim coming out and saw Trini join her. She was still reeling from all she had learned, including the fact that Zordon and Zedd shared a nephew and he still felt bad about losing it on her the night before. There were no hard feelings on her part though, which was apparent, as she immediately headed toward Billy and hugged him tightly. Instantly, she was doting over Trina, but her and Tommy's subtle glances at each other didn't go unnoticed by those that knew them well. The spar also caught Kimberly's attention and little Olivia, who had been attached to Tori all morning spotted her Aunt.

"Aunt Kim!" Olivia called, as she tugged Tori along with her.

"Hey there munchkin," Kimberly said, as she hugged her tightly.

"Aunt Kim, this is Tori!" Olivia called. Tori smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Tori said.

"Likewise, I'm Kimberly Hart," Kim said, shaking her hand.

"First pink ranger, right?" Tori asked. Kim nodded.

"First female blue?" Kim asked, noticing Tori's colors. The blonde nodded.

"I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up on a team with all guys," she joked. Kim chuckled.

"You've got to be a tough one if you put up with five ranger males by yourself," Kimberly joked back. Tori sighed, as she watched Shane and Hunter. Neither had given an inch and probably wouldn't until someone stopped them. They were good friends now, but still ridiculously competitive.

"So, he's Zordon's nephew?" Kim asked, nodding toward the blonde fighter on the platform. Tori nodded.

"And Zedd's too I guess. He's still trying to wrap his mind around everything," Tori responded.

"Hunter is Tori's boyfriend," Olivia giggled.

"You are a gossip," Tori teased, as she tickled her. Kimberly smiled.

"Can I ask you something? I was going to ask Aisha this morning, but she has her hands full," Tori asked. Kim shrugged.

"Sure," Kim replied.

"Well…I told Hunter that he doesn't have anything to worry about, but I can tell he's nervous about meeting…Dulcea. He somehow thinks he'll be a disappointment, which is silly, but I was just wondering if you could tell me what she's like beforehand?" Tori asked. Kim smiled at the young woman. She had once herself been considered the heart of her team and it was easy to tell that Tori was the heart of the Ninja team, as she was always seeking to protect her teammates, particularly the one she was in love with.

"Well, we didn't have a lot of time to get to know her, but Master warrior of Phaedos isn't just a title. She easily took down a whole slew of Tengus by herself with ease and was ready to do the same to us, until she learned that we were Zordon's rangers," Kimberly said, pausing for a moment.

"I could tell that she knew Zordon on a personal level just by her demeanor, but none of us had any idea that it was because he was her older brother. She was much kinder after that and seemed to instantly have faith in all of us. I think Aisha and I might have been the only ones that picked up on it, but I remember thinking that she seemed to have a sadness in her. I think Hunter is worrying for nothing. She's going to be overjoyed to have her son back," Kimberly advised. Tori smiled and nodded.

"Hey jerks, you think you two can bow out and let the rest of us a chance?" Blake called.

"Yeah, this is tired dudes," Dustin called. Shane and Hunter bowed out and let more opponents take their turns. It wasn't long until they were all eating breakfast together and the mission ahead began to sink in. As Rita and Zedd returned with Trent, Anton, and Elsa, they finished up and they all began to realize what was riding on them. Trent looked about as happy as Ethan had the night before about coming back and the tension between him and Conner was already evident. Tommy and Kim had yet to speak to each other and their teammates were close to intervening, though they knew it would have to wait. Hunter was more anxious than he had ever been and would have been pacing if not for Tori's calming presence. Rocky, Aisha, Katherine, and Billy were having a hard time tearing themselves away from their children, fearing something might happen while they were gone, though Hayley and Kanoi insisted that they would be protected. And many others just looked plain unsure of everything. Zedd stepped forward once they were gathered and ready for teleportation.

"I'll be going with you to Dulcea's Temple. I know that you're all feeling a lot of things right now and many of you never asked to be called back. Unfortunately, Ivan Ooze has left us no choice. The survival of the human race will depend on this team," Zedd told them.

"No pressure," Shane said, half joking. Zedd smiled thinly.

"It's too much for anyone to ask of any of you and for that, I am deeply sorry," Zedd added. Tori squeezed his hand and Hunter stepped forward slowly.

"We'll do what we have to for the Earth. I…I don't know much about being this Chosen One that scroll talks about, but I'm going to stop Ooze and make him pay for all the people he's killed," Hunter said, stepping forward. Tori smiled at him and joined him.

"You know that I'm going to be by your side, no matter what," Tori added, as she kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, you're always bossing me around anyway, so this won't be much different than growing up with you," Blake teased. Hunter rolled his eyes, as his 'little bro' shared a brotherly half hug with him.

"You know we're with you," Shane said, as he, Cam and Dustin joined them.

"Us too, he's not getting away with killing innocent people," Conner said, as he and Kira stepped forward. Ethan and Trent nodded, joining them. Tommy smiled, as the original ten joined them as well.

"This time we're going to make sure that there's not even a particle of Ooze left so he can never come back," Tommy stated, as they looked to Hayley and Kanoi.

"Be careful and may the power protect you all," Kanoi said solemnly. Zedd nodded and Hayley initiated the long range teleportation sequence that Billy had set up earlier. With that, the chosen twenty and Zedd disappeared in streaks of colored light…


	14. Chapter 13: Eyes on Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me.

AN: Here's chapter 13! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything is canon up until that episode. After that, it completely AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 13: Eyes on Fire

_I'll seek you out  
Flay you alive  
One more word and you won't survive  
And I'm not scared  
Of your stolen power  
I see right through you any hour_

_Eyes on fire  
Your spine is ablaze  
Felling any foe with my gaze  
And just in time  
In the right place  
Steadily emerging with grace_

_**Song: Eyes on Fire**_

_**Artist: Blue Foundation**_

* * *

_**Space, in orbit of Earth**_

_**Ivan Ooze's spaceship **_

Twenty-one streaks of light didn't go unnoticed by the scanners on Ivan's massive ship.

"Father, twenty of the former rangers, including the crimson one, have left the Earth. We are tracking them as we speak," Toxa reported.

"I already know where they're going," Ivan growled.

"The Ninjetti Temple?" she asked. He nodded.

"Phaedos. Take a detachment of Tengus and make sure they don't return," Ivan growled. Toxa smirked, eager to finally get some real action.

"At once, Father," Toxa said, as she bowed deeply before she was gone.

"You will not come back to haunt me from the grave, Zander," Ivan growled, as purple lightning swirled angrily around him.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Zedd and the chosen twenty landed around the rocky outcroppings, near the raging river that ran through most of the planet. It looked much the same to the veteran rangers as it had twelve years ago. Hunter looked around, wondering if it had always looked this barren.

"It used to be populated, but has been desolate for more than six thousand years," Zedd told him, sensing his thoughts.

"Was…I born here?" Hunter asked curiously. Zedd nodded.

"In the palace, which I'm afraid was mostly destroyed when Master Vile attacked," a female voice said. They all turned to see a beautiful woman approach wielding a powerful staff.

"Dulcea…" Kimberly announced. The Master Warrior was dressed differently this time, in a more conservative type of silver Ninjetti uniform. It was comparable to the ones they had worn when they had first been given the Ninjetti powers, complete with a silver headband, though her uniform fit much tighter and was sleeveless.

"It's good to see you again, rangers," she said, as she slowly approached. Hunter turned and seemed frozen, as she approached him.

"Hello Hunter," Dulcea said, as she came face to face with her grown son. Hunter slowly softened, as he saw the unshed tears in her eyes, eyes that were the very same color as his own.

"Mom…" it came from his lips almost unconsciously and Dulcea forced her emotions down.

"As much as I wish we had more time right now, we don't. We must hurry to my Temple," she said, as she motioned for them to follow. Unfortunately, they heard a familiar and unwelcome squawking, as the Tengus descended upon them.

"Damn bloody birds," Zedd growled, as he fell into fighting stance with the others. Dulcea smacked one to the side with her staff, as she busted it in half, preparing to use the howling sound of her enchanted staff to force them away. But a blast of purple energy hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her hard on her back. Hunter fell to her side immediately without thinking and helped her to her feet, as she glared at the intruder.

"My father told me about your powers, witch and you won't be scaring me off with your silly wizardry tricks," the purple skinned female spat venomously.

"Who are you?!" Hunter demanded. She smirked.

"Toxa…it's not a name you'll soon forget, crimson ranger," she answered simply.

"Well, well, daughter of Ivan Ooze…I probably should have suspected you were involved in this," Zedd spat.

"Ivan Ooze has a daughter?" Tommy asked incredulously.

"Man…evil villains really need to stop having kids. It's creepy," Rocky joked.

"Why don't you take your bird brains and get lost, slime girl. There's twenty two of us and one of you," Kimberly taunted. Toxa laughed.

"Father told me that the pink one is amusing and he's right, as usual. Sorry pinky, but Father has asked me to make sure you don't return and the Tengus are the least of your worries," Toxa hissed, as bubbles of ooze formed on her fingertips. She flicked the slime onto the ground and it began to convulse with purple electricity.

"That was really gross," Tori commented. The ooze formed into creatures much like Ivan's henchmen, only these decidedly resembled Toxa a bit more.

"Be careful…they're very dangerous!" Dulcea warned. The Ninja team pulled away their civilian clothes in a flash, falling into fighting stance in their Ninja uniforms.

Tommy and Jason immediately went after Toxa and she proved her worth as a fighter, as she took on the two seasoned martial artists with little difficulty. She kicked Jason in the chest and sent him sprawling to the ground, before taking Tommy on solo. The longest serving ranger found himself a little outmatched without ranger powers and cried out in pain, as he went sprawling into a nearby rock. Toxa smirked and raised her hand, shooting a blast of electricity at Billy, Kim, and Rocky, throwing them back, as she continued her trek toward the Ninja team. She seemed focused on them and drew her long, curved blade.

"Looks like she wants to fight us," Dustin said.

"So let's give her a fight," Shane responded, intensity in his voice, as the air swirled around him and shot out as an air beam. But to his horror, Toxa batted the attack away like nothing. She smirked, as she saw the ground being unearthed by Dustin, as he burrowed beneath her. She lifted her foot and stomped it, causing the ground to shake. Dustin cried out, as he was thrust out of the ground and thrown onto his back.

"Your little Ninja tricks are no match for me," Toxa growled, as she blocked the torrent of water coming at her and reflected it back at Tori.

"Tori!" Hunter cried, as he watched her sail through the air. Toxa smirked evilly, as a bolt of purple lightning left her fingertips and hit the former blue wind ranger in her chest. Tori cried out in agony, as she was sent sprawling even higher into the air. She landed hard and rolled toward the cliff.

"Tori!" Hunter screamed, as he rushed toward her, parting the Tengus who tried to stop him with crimson thunder.

"Oh God Tori…" Hunter cried, as he lifted her into his arms.

"I'm…fine…" Tori groaned, but it was obvious the fall had left her in a lot of pain. They heard another cry of pain, as Cam hit the ground next and Blake stepped forward, his Navy Thunder leaving his fingertips. But Toxa met his attack with her own, cancelling his, before sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground and she hovered above him.

"Guess you're going to the first to die, navy ranger," Toxa said, as she raised her curved blade, but not before smirking at Hunter.

"Say goodbye to baby brother, crimson ranger," she taunted with an evil chuckle.

"BLAKE!" Hunter cried, as his brother lay unable to move to avoid the blade.

"_Hunter…you must let go and embrace the Phoenix spirit…" _Dulcea told him telepathically. He looked at her in confusion.

"_How are you talking to me?" _he wondered silently.

"_Telepathy sweetheart, but I don't have time to explain that to you right now," _she replied, his eyes widened even more, as he realized that he had spoken to her in his mind as well.

"_I don't know how…"_ Hunter said uncertainly.

"_Yes you do, the roaring you keep hearing in your ears is the Phoenix spirit calling to you. You have to let go completely and embrace the power. Let go of your doubts…you almost had it last night, but you pulled back after you lifted that piece of concrete. This time…don't pull back. You must allow your powers to be awakened before you can take possession of the Phoenix Storm morpher," _she explained. Hunter still hesitated, even as the roaring in his ears grew louder.

"_If you don't, Blake will die…" _Dulcea pleaded.

"No…NO BLAKE!" Hunter cried out, as he howled in rage, no longer resisting the call and the intense heat that seemed to want to ignite his entire body on fire.

Toxa prepared to drive her blade into Blake's heart, when she heard the crimson ranger scream, followed by a roaring sound. She glanced over and gasped, as she saw a torrent of fire barreling toward her. She raised her arm to block the attack, but felt it engulf her arm, burning with a vengeance. She screamed in agony and when the flames subsided, her arm was a badly burned, her singed flesh dripping ooze. Hunter looked at his hands in amazement, but felt understanding fill him as his Ninjetti spirit bonded to him. He looked at the daughter of evil with fury in his eyes, as a sphere of fire formed in his hand.

"Get away from my brother or I'll make the other arm match," Hunter threatened, as he set Tori on a flat rock for the moment and approached slowly. The Tengus and Ooze foot soldiers descended upon him, but explosions of feathers and slime peppered the ground, as crimson thunder obliterated them like nothing. Toxa unconsciously backed away from the prone navy ranger.

"Run back to your Father and tell him the son of Zander is coming for him," Hunter hissed. She steeled herself against his gaze.

"If you think for a second that this is over, then you are sadly mistaken. My Father is far more powerful than me and won't be so easily defeated…even by the mighty Phoenix," she hissed, as she disappeared. Hunter sighed and helped Blake up, before going to check on Tori. Despite his fussing over her, she insisted that she was fine and walked on her own to join the rest with her hand in his. She was in awe of his sudden display of power, as most of them were.

"Dude…that was AWESOME!" Dustin cheered. Hunter smirked and rolled his eyes, as Blake and Shane joined him, firing questions a mile a minute.

"Guys…later," Hunter said, quieting them.

"Yes, we must hurry to the Temple. Ivan will be furious when he finds out and will take his anger out on the Earth," Dulcea said. They all sobered and quickly followed the Master warrior to her Temple.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's spaceship**_

Xinshing's boots sounded thickly on the floor, as he entered his Master's Throne room, bowing deeply.

"You better have good news, General," Ivan warned. Xin smirked, as two of his men dragged a struggling human into his Throne Room.

"Mirinoi has fallen, My Lord," Xin said, as he tossed the charred, broken red quasar saber at his Master's feet.

"You'll pay for all the people you've killed…I swear, I'll make you pay!" Leo screamed, as he struggled against his captors.

"The rest of the Galaxy rangers are in the dungeon, but I thought you'd like to see the red one yourself. Shall I execute them, My Lord?" Xin asked, as he raised his blade.

"Easy General Xin, not yet. Lock him up with his teammates. They may become a valuable bargaining chip in the future," Ivan ordered. Xin nodded and motioned to his men, who dragged a struggling Leo out of the room. Xin hit the red ranger on the back on the head. His vision swam and he slumped to the floor, as unconsciousness swept him. His men easily dragged the young man to the dark cell and tossed him in with his teammates.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

They climbed to the Temple and marveled at the architecture on the way.

"Dulcea…do we have to journey to the Monolith again?" Adam asked, as they finally all completed the climb of the stairs. She smiled.

"No…there are no tests this time. You are the twenty that the scroll of fire speaks of. There is only one thing that must be done to unlock the Dino gems, the Ninjetti power coins, and the…Hurricane Storm morphers," Dulcea said, as she stood before her son.

"And that would be?" Conner prompted.

"Hunter's powers have been awakened, as we all witnessed. Controlling them and strengthening them will come with time and training. But once he ventures into the Temple of the Phoenix and claims the Phoenix Storm morpher, it will unlock the rest," Dulcea explained.

"And the morpher will accept me, just like that?" Hunter asked. She smiled.

"Of course, it is your birthright, after all," she said, motioning to the Temple behind the platform in the near distance. It was trimmed in gold and a Phoenix was etched above the opening.

"Go inside the Temple and everything will become clear," Dulcea urged. He nodded, as Tori squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. As Hunter entered the Temple, the rest of them took a moment to sit down and rest from the excitement that had already occurred.

"Excuse me…I don't mean to be rude or anything, but did I hear you say Dino Gems?" Kira asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I heard that too. I thought our gems were drained of their powers. They're just rocks now," Conner added. Dulcea smiled at the pair.

"Your gems were drained, but the five Dino Gems that you know are simply replicas of the real gems," Dulcea stated.

"Replicas?" Tommy questioned. She nodded.

"Zordon decided that we should make replicas of five of the eight gems in case they would be needed. We honestly hoped that none of the morphers that are about to be unlocked would ever be needed," Dulcea explained.

"Why?" Ethan asked.

"Because they are unlike any powers that any rangers have ever held and are specifically meant for the twenty of you. Unlike powers you have held in the past, these cannot be destroyed or drained. They will forever be a part of you until you are able to pass them onto your children or a candidate the power deems worthy," Dulcea answered.

"So they're permanent?" Kimberly asked. Dulcea nodded.

"What if we don't want this?" Trent asked.

"I'm sorry…but you wouldn't be here unless the situation was dire. I'm afraid that without the twenty of you, not only would the Earth be doomed, but the entire Universe," Dulcea apologized. Trent huffed and got to his feet.

"He's really that powerful?" the former white ranger asked. Dulcea nodded sadly. Trent shook his head.

"And so we have to fight this guy, even though we clearly have little chance of winning and we're just supposed to be okay with that?! We're just supposed to give up our lives, because some old piece of paper says so?!" Trent ranted. Conner jumped up.

"Dude…calm down," he said, as he touched Trent's shoulder. The artist roughly shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me, McKnight," Trent hissed.

"What is your problem?!" Conner demanded.

"I didn't answer to you when we were rangers before and I'm not about to start now," Trent responded, glaring at him.

"I thought we were friends," Conner mumbled. Trent laughed.

"We were never friends, Conner. And you still don't trust me, so cut the nice act," Trent spat. Conner smirked.

"Fine, you're right, I don't. I think you need to check your ego though. This thing is way bigger than you, dude," Conner stated. Trent laughed.

"Really? The Conner McKnight is telling _me_ that _I'm _the one that needs an ego check," Trent spat. Conner watched him for a moment and noticed that his eyes kept drifting to Kira. Then it suddenly made sense.

"This is about Kira, isn't it?" Conner asked quietly, though she heard perfectly. Trent shook his head, refusing to answer.

"You both need to stop this if we're going to be a team again," Kira demanded, as she tugged Conner's arm. He backed away, letting her lead him back to his seat. Tommy watched his students warily, knowing that there were unresolved issues between Conner and Trent that wouldn't be resolved overnight.

"Kira's right and I know you two have issues, but it can't spill over onto the battlefield," Tommy said, as he approached.

"None of us wanted this, Trent, but we have to step up or a lot more people are going to die," Tommy said, looking the other wielder of white in the eye.

"Fine…" Trent huffed, as Tommy put a hand on his shoulder.

"And if this is about Kira, you need to let it go. She's not some trophy for you guys to fight over. She's made her choice and if you decide to interfere with that, you'll get burned and end up not only hurting yourself, but the entire team," Tommy said quietly so only Trent could hear. Trent simply nodded. Tommy wasn't sure if he had really gotten through or if Trent had decided to concede for now just to get him to leave him alone. The tension was thick and Blake blew out a tired breath.

"Nothing quite like a love triangle to create drama, huh?" he joked. Tori smiled awkwardly and Blake shook his head.

"Sorry, bad joke. Besides, it doesn't look like much of a triangle really. Conner and Kira seem pretty tight," Blake mentioned. He didn't say it, but she heard the implication in his voice and the sentiment was silently implied about her and Hunter.

"Blake…I know we haven't had a chance to talk, but I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you," Tori said. He put his hands up.

"You don't have to do that, Tor. It just wasn't meant to be for us, I guess. Maybe if I had actually made a move or an effort to establish something between us, things might be different," Blake said, pausing before he continued.

"And I can't really say that I regret it, because I love my career. I left to live my life and you continued yours. And Hunter…well, I've never seen him this happy. I mean, I didn't think happy existed for him, because he never let anyone but me in," Blake said, smiling.

"I don't think he saw me coming. I sort of pulverized those walls he tries to put up, but he caught me off guard too. We didn't plan it…but we fell in love, even though we both felt guilty for a long time," Tori confessed. Blake smiled.

"Don't…don't feel guilty anymore. I'm okay and I'll be fine with just being friends…even your brother someday. I don't hate you guys, never could," he promised. She smiled.

"Besides, someone needs to keep Hunter in line and I'm happy I don't have to anymore. He's a pain in my ass most of the time," Blake joked. Tori laughed.

"Good thing keeping him in line is my specialty," she replied. Blake rolled his eyes.

"I'll bet. You know, he and Shane may wear red, but I think we all know who the real leader of this team is," he teased her. She smirked.

"And don't you forget it," she replied.

Rocky laughed, as Ethan finished his story.

"Really?" Rocky asked. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Yes really, but I don't think it's that funny," Tommy grumbled.

"You were stuck in your ranger suit for a week. That's just plain hilarious. Guess you really are the greatest ranger of all time, _Doctor_ Oliver," Rocky teased.

"Oh yeah, it was a barrel of laughs," Tommy replied sarcastically.

"Not half as funny as some of the other stories they told me," Ethan chuckled. Tommy shook his head.

"You know what paybacks are, don't you Rock?" Tommy asked, trying to keep a straight face, but failing.

"Bring it on Rainbow Ranger!" Rocky called, as he and the others busted up laughing. Tommy shook his head.

"You better sleep with one eye open, Ape boy," Tommy warned in a teasing tone.

"Billy?" Katherine asked, as she approached him. The former blue had been sitting by himself, looking out at the horizon for some time now and like always, she was worried about him for obvious reasons.

"Huh…oh hey Kat," he answered.

"I know this is a stupid question, but are you all right?" she asked. He smirked.

"I'm…well, I'm not sure what I am. I guess I just want to get this over with and get back to Trina," Billy responded. Kat nodded.

"I know what you mean. I know Ninja Ops is secretive, but Malcolm has really deep pockets and resources. And then there's Ivan Ooze complicating my life even more," Kat mentioned.

"Malcolm?" Billy asked in confusion.

"My ex-husband, who happens to be a notorious mobster that wants me dead for what I've seen. Aiden and I have been in witness protection for three years, before all this started. I really know how to pick 'em," Kat joked. Billy looked at her in surprise.

"I had no idea..." he said. She shrugged.

"Jason and Trini were the only ones that did and that's because Jason is my handler. If you look up epic failures in the dictionary, my picture is probably there," Kat replied.

"Don't talk like that, you're not a failure. Aiden seems like a pretty great kid," Billy mentioned. She smiled.

"He's my pride and joy, pretty much the only thing I did right after high school," she said. Billy squeezed her shoulder.

"Well, things have changed now. I don't really care how powerful this guy is supposed to be. I doubt he can handle a few rangers, let alone twenty," Billy told her. She smiled thinly and nodded.

"Ivan Ooze is going to pay too…for what he did to Aquitar," she promised. He nodded.

Hunter looked around the Temple, taking in his surroundings. The gold walls were offset by the gigantic crimson Phoenix that was emblazoned on the wall behind a golden pillar that rested in the center. On the pillar, peculiar crimson flames swirled and seemed to stay confined to the top of the pillar, rather than spreading like normal fire. Hunter squinted, trying to make out the object that seemed to be in the center of the small inferno.

"Am I really supposed to stick my hand in the fire to get that morpher?" he wondered.

"_The flames cannot hurt you…in fact, they are a part of you,"_ a ghostly male voice said, as a figure shimmered to life. Hunter looked on with wide eyes, as a man who resembled him greatly appeared before him.

"Are you…" Hunter started, but his voice faded.

"_Yes, I am Zander, your birth Father," _he answered knowingly.

"How?" Hunter asked. The man smirked.

"_This is the Temple of the Phoenix, my son and I will be here to guide you. Someday, you will probably do the same for your heir, though I only hope your time will not be cut short as mine was," _Zander stated.

"_Unfortunately, time is not on our side. You must claim your birthright and unlock the other morphers. When Ivan Ooze learns that you are not just a descendant of mine, but actually my son, he will take it out on the Earth, I'm afraid," _Zander warned. Hunter winced.

"I probably shouldn't have revealed that to that witch," he mumbled. Zander smiled.

"_He already suspects anyway so it wouldn't have mattered much. Now, tame the fire and claim your power," _Zander instructed. Hunter took a deep breath and raised his hand, calling the flames. They obeyed his command and hovered above his palm. They died out and the morpher rested in his hand. Hunter looked at it, admiring the crimson and gold wrist morpher, emblazoned with the Phoenix in the center.

"_Go now…return to your planet," _Zander urged. Hunter strapped the morpher to his wrist.

"Will I…see you again?" he asked. Zander chuckled.

"_Don't worry, we'll meet again my son," _Zander promised, as he faded away. Hunter took another deep breath and exited the Temple to face his mission.

Tommy sighed with worry, as he watched his former students. With eight Dino gems, he guessed that meant the other four would go to four of his former team members. That made him feel a little better, considering the strife between Conner and Trent. The white ranger wouldn't take orders from the red, and red didn't trust white, but if Jason was a part of that team, he would at least be able to keep them both in line. He shook his head, not envious of his best friend in that respect at all. He heard soft footfalls behind him and turned, only to find Kimberly slowly approaching him. Their eyes finally met, truly for the first time that day, and he suddenly felt like it was 1995 again.

"Hey…" she said awkwardly.

"Hi…long time no see," he replied.

"_Long time no see? You're a real Master conversationalist, Oliver," _he mentally scolded himself.

"Yeah…so Dr. Oliver, huh?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Not you too. The guys give me enough crap for it," Tommy replied.

"No…I think it's great. You always were a great teacher," she said. He nodded.

"I heard I'm not the only one teaching," he mentioned. She shrugged.

"You know what they say…those who can't do…teach," she responded.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that things didn't work out with the Olympics and all," he said.

"That's the breaks. I guess it just wasn't meant to be," Kimberly said sadly, though it seemed that she was talking about more than just the Olympics.

"Tommy…"

"Kim…" they both said simultaneously.

"You first," he told her. She nodded and tried to form the words when they saw fire shoot from the Temple of the Phoenix. Three panels opened in the floor around them, as three stone pillars emerged, each topped with an ornate chest. They snapped open and there was a triad of light that exploded from each pillar. They saw Hunter return from the Temple, a look of determination on his face. It was time and their talk would have to wait…


	15. Chapter 14: Tonight, Tonight

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used. I just borrow them to set the tone of the chapter.

AN: Here's chapter 14! Thanks for all the great reviews. I didn't do individual replies this time, but I will again in future chapters, so keep them coming! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Everything is canon up until that episode. After that, it's completely AU.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 14: Tonight, Tonight

_Time is never time at all  
You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth  
And our lives are forever changed  
We will never be the same  
The more you change the less you feel  
Believe, believe in me, believe_

_In the resolute urgency of now  
And if you believe there's not a chance tonight  
Tonight, so bright  
Tonight  
We'll crucify the insincere tonight  
We'll make things right, we'll feel it all tonight  
We'll find a way to offer up the night tonight  
The indescribable moments of your life tonight  
The impossible is possible tonight  
Believe in me as I believe in you, tonight_

_**Song: Tonight, Tonight**_

_**Artist: Smashing Pumpkins**_

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's spaceship**_

_**In orbit of Earth**_

Toxa appeared in her Father's Throne room and fell to her knees, clutching her arm in pain.

"Toxa…" Xinshing cried, as he helped her up.

"What happened?" Ivan demanded to know, as he saw his daughter's injured arm.

"The crimson one…he is the son of Zander…" Toxa uttered. Purple electricity swirled around Ivan Ooze, popping and crackling dangerously.

"That's impossible!" he screamed in rage. But looking at her injury, he knew without a doubt that the Phoenix had risen again. It wasn't easy to damage morphological beings such as them so easily.

"Launch an attack on Earth, immediately before they return. You'll start with Angel Grove, Silver Hills, and Reefside," Ivan ordered. Xin bowed.

"I will dispatch our army at once and take on Silver Hills myself," Xin said.

"No…you're going to take a detachment to KO-35 and add it to my collection," Ivan decided. Xin bowed and left to do his Master's bidding.

"Father…allow me to redeem myself and have my revenge on the crimson ranger," Toxa growled, as she thought of the blonde youth that had left her arm a mangled, burned mess. Ivan smirked.

"And how do you plan to make him pay when he did that to you without even morphing!" Ivan roared angrily.

"He caught me off guard, Father, it won't happen again! Besides, I've decided to attack his heart instead," Toxa said evilly.

"The Blue Wind ranger then," Ivan deduced.

"Eventually, but for now, I have located the approximate vicinity of the Thunder Ninja Academy. I'm going to wipe it off the map," Toxa stated.

"Very well, proceed and then join the battle in Angel Grove," Ivan ordered. Toxa bowed and turned to leave.

"Don't fail me again, my daughter," Ivan warned. She stopped for a second, before continuing on her way.

* * *

**_Phaedos_**

They were all on their feet, as Hunter returned and the glowing from the pillars slowly subsided.

"You got it," Blake mentioned, noticing the new morpher on his wrist. Hunter smiled, as Tori hugged him tightly.

"Yeah, I guess so," he responded, as he looked around at everyone.

"It's time…" Dulcea stated, as she moved to the first pillar.

"The powers of the Ninjetti spirits never truly left you, but with your new morphers, you will find that they have extra gifts to bestow upon you," Dulcea said, as she lifted a case out of the pillar, revealing six wrist morphers, each adorned with a Ninjetti power coin in the center.

"Gifts?" Rocky asked. Dulcea nodded, as she approached Tommy first.

"Tommy, I return the power of the Falcon to you and with it, the color of white, leader of the Ninjetti team. While the black dino gem has given you the power of invisibility, the Falcon gives you an ability that Zordon once wielded. You will have the power to create spirit orbs. White orbs of pure energy of the light will devastate those with evil in their hearts. This power can be wielded morphed or unmorphed," Dulcea said, as he took his new morpher and nodded.

"Kimberly, my agile crane, you are the pink ranger and the Crane call will repel your enemies with a supersonic scream," Dulcea stated, as Kimberly took her morpher.

"Aisha, my fierce, protective bear, you are the yellow ranger and the power of telekinesis will be invaluable to the team," the Master warrior informed. Aisha took a deep breath and strapped the new morpher to her wrist.

"Power has always been at the fingertips of the mighty Ape. Rocky, you are red once again and enhanced strength will aide your team well," she said, returning the power of the ape to him. Rocky nodded humbly and locked the morpher on his wrist.

"Adam…like Trent, the Frog's power of camouflage will be a valuable asset in battle. You are the black ranger once again," she stated, as Adam nodded with a much more confidence this time than the last.

"And finally Billy, my blue wolf. This war has already taken so much from you and I would truly give anything to see that none of this happened. Unfortunately, that is not possible, but you still have much to fight for. I personally know a pain like yours, but we must never give up and we must fight for our children's future. The wolf's super speed will give you the upper hand in this war," Dulcea finished, as Billy accepted the blue morpher.

"Zedd, will you do the honors with the Dino Gems?" Dulcea asked. The former Lord of evil hesitated.

"I'm not sure I have the right…" he said uncertainly.

"You have more than proven yourself worthy. Zander and I have long forgiven you," she assured. He nodded humbly and retrieved the case with the original eight Dino Gems. Eight bracelets glowed brightly and shot out of the case, as he opened it, finding their hosts. The bracelets snapped around the wrists of their bearers and flashed to reveal a new Dino morpher, a different Dino head on each.

"Well, that was quick," Zedd quipped, as he approached Conner.

"You look surprised, Mr. McKnight," Zedd mentioned.

"I…but Jason was the original Tyrannosaurs ranger. I thought it would choose him," Conner said in surprise.

"The red gem chose you on Earth and it chooses you again. You are the leader of this team and the power of super speed is yours," Zedd stated.

"Kira, Ethan, and Trent, your respective gems have chosen you again as well. You will resume your place as the yellow Ptera, blue Tricera, and white Drago rangers. The Ptera scream, dino skin, and camouflage will aide your team well," Zedd continued, as he reached the last four members of the original ten.

"I thought it was a black gem. This looks more gold," Jason said. Zedd smirked.

"The black dino gem is sort of gold too and since you once held the powers of the gold zeo crystal, the gem likely picked up on it and decided that you should return to gold, perhaps to honor Trey if nothing else. You are the Brachio ranger and the genetic ability is still the same too. Your power of invisibility will drive your enemies crazy," Zedd mused. Jason smirked.

"Trini, the silver gem has chosen you and like Aisha, your telekinesis will be invaluable. You are the silver Ankylo ranger," Zedd said, continuing on.

"Tanya, the green gem has chosen you and the power of the Parasaur will be at your command, as well as the ability of phasing," Zedd continued.

"Phasing?" she asked.

"Sort of short distance teleportation if you will. As long as it is a place in your sight, you can be there instantly, whether it's at the other end of a field or a visible island in the ocean," Zedd explained. Tanya nodded in understanding, as he finally came to Katherine.

"Katherine, the violet Stego gem has chosen you. With it, your Stego shielding will protect you and your team from enemy fire," Zedd finished, as Dulcea pulled the final case from the center pillar.

"With the Hurricane morphers, the power of your elements will wage war on the forces of evil when they are joined with your awakened animal spirits," Dulcea stated.

"Shane, powerful and fierce, the spirit of the mighty hawk protects you. As the air ninja, the Cyclone morpher is yours," she said, before moving to Dustin.

"Loyal and strong, Dustin, you are the lion. As the earth ninja, the Earthquake morpher is yours," she informed.

"Tori, graceful and smart, you are the dolphin. As the water ninja, the Tsunami morpher is yours," she stated, moving onto Cam.

"Cameron, silent and swift, the spirit of the Snow Leopard and the Samurai Blizzard morpher is yours. Combined with your Samurai amulet, you will command the fierce element of ice to strengthen the elemental force of your team," she continued, moving to Blake next.

"Blake, like your brother, you animal spirit is thought to be a creature of mythology, but is very real. Wise and cunning, you are the dragon and the navy Thunderstorm morpher is yours. As brothers, the powers of Crimson and Navy Thunder will still combine to create a deadly force," Dulcea continued, as she finally approached her son.

"Hunter...my son, you have claimed the Phoenix Storm morpher, your birthright, the power of Crimson Thunder and Fire will be at your command. Powerful and determined, the Phoenix will protect you and the people that you love. Ivan Ooze will not win," Dulcea finished.

"I…saw him," Hunter told her. She smiled.

"I know and I know you have many questions. We will have time…but unfortunately it is not now. With the powers of the Phoenix, you are directly linked to the Temple now and can return here whenever you need or want to. But for now, you must go my son and save the Earth," she told him. He nodded.

"Wait…what about zords?" Conner asked. Dulcea smiled.

"If the need arises, call and they will come," she replied. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Just like that?" he questioned. She nodded.

"Just like that," she responded. With that, the twenty new rangers and Zedd were swept up in a teleportation beam.

"Good luck rangers," Dulcea whispered.

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

Hayley and Kanoi smiled, as the twenty-one streams of light appeared on their screen in a secluded clearing.

"We must tell them what is going on. We cannot afford to waste any time," Kanoi said. Hayley nodded.

"Do we tell Hunter what happened to the Thunder Academy?" Hayley asked. Kanoi's face showed a deep sadness. Sensei Omino had been a very good friend, but he knew better than to believe that anyone survived the devastating blast that engulfed the Academy in flames just two hours ago. The Overdrive rangers put the flames out, but nothing but smoking cinders and ash remained. Sensei Omino and most of his staff had been there. His old friend's decision to send the students home until further notice was the only thing that saved the death count from being much higher.

"No…Hunter must be focused on the battle or even more will die. There is nothing he can for those at the Thunder Academy. They are gone," Kanoi said sadly. Hayley nodded.

"Welcome back guys," Hayley called into the comm.

"_Thanks Hayley," _came Tommy's voice.

"I wish I didn't have bad news, but Ivan must be really pissed because he's launched an attack on three cities. Wes and Eric are trying to defend Silver Hills with the newly government acquired Silver Guardians. It's not going well, but Angel Grove and Reefside are in trouble too. We sent the Overdrive rangers to Angel Grove, but they're severally outmatched and despite our reservations, the unmorphed Wild Force team is doing what they can in Reefside," Hayley explained.

"We're on it," Hunter responded.

"We'll handle Angel Grove," Tommy decided.

"We can take Reefside," Conner said, making the decision.

"We'll give Wes and Eric some back up in Silver Hills," Hunter said.

"Shouldn't we morph first?" Kira asked.

"All three cities are probably crawling with those government creeps. It's only a matter of time before they exploit us to the public, if they haven't already. I'd rather reveal it on my own terms," Jason responded. The others agreed and each team disappeared in streams of teleportation, as Zedd returned to Ninja Ops.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

The six of them arrived in the inferno that was downtown Angel Grove. They saw Toxa in the center of several green skinned soldiers and other powerful looking alien minions.

"It's them! It's the power rangers!" they heard a woman call.

"What are you waiting for…do something!" a man cried. The rangers exchanged looks.

"How do they know already?" Rocky wondered. They saw Cole stumbling toward them with the other Wild Force rangers, minus Alyssa who could not fight in her condition. They were dirty and injured.

"Those sector nine creeps went public with the identity of every living ranger with a special broadcast this morning," Taylor explained.

"The son-of-bitch made sure to blame everything on us too," Cole spat angrily.

"We'll handle this now. You guys contact Hayley and have her teleport you back for medical attention," Tommy said.

"Guess there's no point in hiding it," Adam stated. The spectators were angrily shouting at them, but one voice pierced the crowd.

"Not everyone has turned on the power rangers!" Bulk cried out.

"Yeah, you're all a bunch of idiots if you believe this is the ranger's fault," Skull added. Tommy smiled, sharing a curt nod with them.

"Can you guys take care of them? Go with them back to our current headquarters. Looks like we'll need all the allies we can get," Tommy said, knowing the two wanted nothing more than to help and be involved in their cause. Bulk and Skull did their customary salute, before helping the four Wild Force rangers off to the side so they could contact Hayley.

"Ready guys?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, let's see if we can mess up that bitch even more where Hunter left off," Rocky spat, watching murderously, as Toxa blasted her way through the city.

"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy called, as they each swept their arm around, bringing their wrists morphers in front of their chests and activating them. The six Ninjetti spirit animals leapt from the morphers with roars, growls, and caws, as the colored armor molded around each ranger, looking much the same as it had the first time.

"Ninjetti…The Falcon!"

"The Crane!"

"The Bear!"

"The Ape!"

"The Frog!"

"The Wolf!"

"_Rangers…call the Ninjetti gliders," _Zedd's voice came from Tommy's communicator.

"Ninjetti gliders!" they called without hesitation, as six colored gliders appeared. The rangers hopped on and took off, eager to turn the battle in their favor.

* * *

_**Reefside**_

"Holy shit…" Jason swore, as they stared at the complete wreck that was downtown Reefside.

"Look at this place…" Kira squeaked, as her hometown was in ruins.

"Look…it's them!" a woman's voice called.

"A little too late! Nice job rangers!" another woman spat.

"What?" Conner asked in confusion.

"How do they know?" Ethan asked in disbelief.

"GUYS…rangers over here!" Cassidy Cornell called, as she and Devin ran to them.

"Man, are we glad to see you guys. There's a bunch of green goobers and monsters trashing the city," Devin informed.

"Cassidy…how does everyone know we're rangers?" Trent demanded to know.

"You guys didn't see the news broadcast this morning?" she asked. They shook their heads.

"We've been…elsewhere getting a power recharge," Conner mumbled.

"Oh, well the president made a speech and declared that the country is in a state of emergency. The military has like completely taken over and is being led by something called sector nine. I guess they're like alien experts or something. They said the power rangers had failed and that they could no longer be trusted. Then they revealed the identities of every ranger team in existence," Cassidy explained.

"Dammit…" Jason said angrily.

"Don't worry, not everyone believes that garbage," Devin tried to reassure them. Cassidy smiled.

"Exactly…so you guys go fight or whatever it is you do and I'll report the real stuff," Cassidy assured. They smiled at her.

"Thanks Cass," Ethan said gratefully.

"That's very brave of you, Miss…" Trini trailed off.

"Cassidy Cornell," she answered.

"Miss Cornell," she continued.

"If these guys are really serious about running the show, then speaking against them could be dangerous. Make your report, but then get somewhere safe until one of can come get you," Trini told them.

"Go to Cyberspace. One of us will come find you both," Trent promised. They nodded, as the eight rangers took stance.

"Ready guys?" Conner asked. The other three nodded.

"Dino Thunder, power up, ha!" Conner called, as he, Kira, and Ethan morphed into their armor that looked the same, only with a more armored like appearance.

"White Ranger, Dino Power!" Trent called, activating his morpher and following suit, as he morphed into the white ranger, his suit looking the same except with a more armored like appearance.

"Guess this is it," Tanya said. Jason nodded, as their bracelets flashed into their dino morphers.

"Dino Thunder, power up!" Jason called, as the four of them back flipped, as their armor molded around them. Their armor looked much the same as the others, with the Dino Thunder symbol emblazoned on their chests and their armor in their respective colors. Jason's was nearly the same as what Tommy had worn, except he was outfitted with a golden chest plate, similar to the one he wore while using the Gold zeo powers.

The other three suits were identical to Kira's only in silver with black trimming, green with white trimming, and violet with white trimming.

"_Rangers…call the raptor cycles," _Zedd's voice came from Conner's communicator.

"Raptor cycles!" they called, as the eight rangers took off for the fray of battle.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

The six Ninjas arrived in the wake of devastation near the Clock Tower that had once housed the Time Force rangers.

"Let him go!" they heard a voice call. They saw the spectacle on the steps of the Clock Tower and saw Wes and Eric, both morphed, being held at blaster point by the same Silver Guardians that they used to command.

"Hunter…it's that sector nine creep," Tori said, recognizing General Gorbin.

"Is he the one that knows about us?" Dustin asked. Hunter nodded curtly.

"You're not arresting my Dad! He hasn't done anything wrong!" Wes roared.

"Wesley, it's all right. There are others that need your help," Mr. Collins told him.

"Yes, red ranger. You and your Quantum friend have done a very poor job at defending the city. It's a good thing that _my_ Silver Guardians were able to evacuate so many people," Gorbin goaded.

"Let my Father go," Wes growled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. He was ordered by the government to give the property title of the Silver Guardians headquarters over and allow access to Bio-Lab. Though privately owned, the president's executive order in this state of emergency allows the military to take over in matters of defense. Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians have thereby been acquired by Sector Nine and Mr. Collins' refusal to cooperate breaks the law," Gorbin explained.

"You can't do this! The Power Rangers will set this right. Ivan Ooze won't get away with this," Wes tried to convince them. Gorbin chuckled.

"Yes, the Power Rangers are doing a fine job," Gorbin said sarcastically.

"The tables are about to turn," Hunter called, as the six of them made their presence known.

"Well, I was beginning to wonder when you'd show your faces again," Gorbin said. The spectacle at the base of the Clock Tower began to draw the attention of survivors that were milling about.

"Hey…it's them! They're power rangers!" one man called. The six of them exchanged confused glances.

"How do they know?" Blake hissed.

"He's exposed us. The news broke with a national broadcast report at 10am this morning. He's blaming us for not stopping any of this," Eric explained.

"We didn't know any of this was going to happen until it already had!" Shane roared.

"We didn't even know who Ivan Ooze was much less that he was alive until two days ago!" Cam yelled.

"Let's go guys," Hunter called.

"Those goons are plowing their way through the city. Hope you got what you needed," Eric called. Hunter nodded.

"Guess there's no point in hiding it anymore," he mumbled. Shane nodded.

"Ready guys?" he asked. Tori and Dustin nodded.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!" the three of them called, making their signature hand moves, before activating their morphers. Red, yellow, and light blue armor molded around their bodies, taking on the same type of uniform they donned in the past, only with a more armored appearance.

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!" Blake called, making his signature hand moved, before activating his morpher. Navy and gold armor molded around his body, taking on the same type of uniform he had donned in the past, only with a more armored appearance.

"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!" Cam called, thrusting it out in front of his body after activating it. Green and gold armor molded around his body, taking on the same type of uniform he had donned in the past, only with a more armored appearance.

Hunter raised his arm, as the Phoenix morpher flashed, glowing with crimson fire. He activated the morpher and thrust his arm toward the sky.

"Phoenix Storm, Ranger Form!" Hunter called, as crimson fire laced with thunder engulfed his entire body moving down to his feet. Starting there, crimson and gold armor began to mold itself around his body. It was similar to his former uniform, only it was solid crimson with gold trimming, including a gold chest plate, with the crimson head of the Phoenix emblazoned on it. His helmet molded around his head last, revealing gold trimmed crimson wings on either side of his head, a ridge over his forehead was the eyes and beak of the Phoenix. The rest of his visor looked much as it had on the helmet of his original crimson uniform.

"_Rangers…call the Storm Cycles,"_ Zedd's voice sounded over their communicators.

"Storm Cycles!" they called, as six street bikes appeared.

"Oh yeah, this is what I'm talking about!" Blake called, as he hopped on the navy colored one.

"Let's go," Hunter said, as they jumped on and went speeding through the city toward the monsters that were leaving a path of destruction through the city.


	16. Ch 15: Through the Fire and Flames Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 15! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**Fallingstar22: **Yeah, sector nine's meddling will continue unfortunately. The reactions from the people we saw though aren't the reactions of everyone. You'll see that a little in this chapter. Glad you're enjoying the story.

**Garnetred: **Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story so much.

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045:**Yeah, sector nine sucks. They're making everything worse. Glad you're enjoying the story. The first battle begins in this chapter so your wait is over.

**Harry2:** Yep the first battle begins in this chapter and it's nonstop action so enjoy!

**YellowPrincess: **Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story. Time to rock and roll, as the battle begins!

Crimson Rising

Chapter 15: Through the Fire and the Flames, Pt 1

_On a cold winter morning, in the time before the light_  
_In flames of death's eternal reign we ride towards the fight_  
_When the darkness has fallen down, and the times are tough all right_  
_The sound of evil laughter falls around the world tonight_

_Fighting hard, fighting on for the steel, through the wastelands evermore_  
_The scattered souls will feel the hell bodies wasted on the shores_  
_On the blackest plains in hell's domain, we watch them as we go_  
_In fire and pain, and once again we know_

_So now we fly ever free_  
_We're free before the thunderstorm_  
_On towards the wilderness our quest carries on_  
_Far beyond the sundown, far beyond the moonlight_  
_Deep inside our hearts and all our souls_

_So far away we wait for the day_  
_For the lives all so wasted and gone_  
_We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days_  
_Through the fire and the flames we carry on_

_**Song: Through the Fire and the Flames**_

_**Artist: Dragonforce**_

* * *

Mr. Collins allowed himself to be led into the cell and watched the bars separate him

from his captors.

"Do I at least get my phone call or are you allowed to take away that right too?" he asked. Gorbin smirked.

"Of course, you can have as many as you want actually. I doubt they'll do you much good though if you're thinking about calling someone to post bail. Your assets are frozen," Gorbin replied smugly. Mr. Collins clenched his teeth.

"You can take my company and the silver guardians, but you have no right to freeze my own personal wealth!" Collins roared.

"You're considered a conspirator and in a time of war, we can do exactly that. Your son's accounts are frozen too since he's a wanted vigilante. Any help you may have provided to the rangers will not be allowed," Gorbin responded.

"Why are you doing this? What are you possibly going to gain by turning everyone against the Power Rangers? They're not going to stop fighting Ivan Ooze. In fact, if anyone will defeat him and his army, it will be them. They have powers that none of us can understand," Collins stated. Gorbin smirked.

"Yes…alien technology in the hands of a group of emotional young fools that walk around with power at their fingertips and enhanced DNA that they don't even realize makes them nearly super human. Instead of using that to their full potential, they're too busy screwing each other or working mundane jobs trying to pass themselves off as normal," Gorbin spat.

"Enhanced DNA? What are you talking about?" Collins asked. Gorbin smirked.

"You don't really think that the powers they've held didn't have an effect on their DNA, did you? We've been studying their collective DNA for years now. They're careless and they make it all too easy to collect hair and skin samples. The results are nothing short of fascinating," Gorbin said smugly.

"What do you want from the rangers?" Collins demanded protectively.

"It's simple, Mr. Collins," Gorbin said, as he paced in front of the cell with his hands behind his back.

"Imagine a world free of war, tyranny, poverty, and crime. With a team of super human soldiers, the ideals of peace could be realized. They could make a difference. They could create a peaceful world, cut crime in half, and help us regulate resources to eliminate poverty," Gorbin stated.

"Regulate? And where exactly is freedom in all this?" Collins questioned.

"Freedom is a fool's playground. Under the government's protection, societies can flourish and every citizen can realize their full potential," Gorbin replied.

"You mean be forced to do whatever you want them to do," Collins retorted.

"From a certain point of view, I suppose it can be seen that way. But really, we're just trying to achieve a peaceful world," Gorbin answered.

"Maybe you can sell that to some people, but really you're just slapping the word peace on your conquest for world domination. That's what this is really about, isn't it?" Collins demanded to know. Gorbin smirked.

"Call it what you want, Mr. Collins. You can't stop us and neither can the rangers. They either work for us or remain outlaws. It's as simple as that," Gorbin said, as he walked off.

"The rangers won't ever work for you and they won't let you succeed!" Collins called. But Gorbin ignored him and continued on.

He didn't have access to any of his money and his mansion was crawling with government agents now. Fortunately, he and Anton Mercer had prepared for something like this should the rangers ever need to go underground. He just hoped Anton wasn't found and arrested for his involvement with the rangers before he could give them access to their joint, secretive project. He needed to get a message to him and he would have to speak in code to conceal the information from the listening ears.

"Guard…I'd like my phone call now," Collins called.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

The city was absolutely swarming with more abhorrent creatures than Tori could have ever imagined. But she didn't have time to even think about what they were, as she was immediately dodging them on her storm cycle and using the lasers to blast her way through the streets. She saw an abundance of Tengus and a hoard of another type of foot soldier that literally looked like giant walking tan and green colored grasshoppers with large wings and tails and arms with large pincers on all appendages. She fired her lasers again, hitting one dead on and it exploded, spraying a remains of thick yellow goop.

"And I thought those ooze things were gross," she grumbled, feeling her stomach churn in disgust. She gasped, as a Tengu bird dived down on her, trying to peck at her, its sharp talons trying to grab onto her suit. Fortunately, the armor prevented any puncturing and she slammed the breaks on, throwing it off. She flipped off the bike and took on the minions in hand to hand combat. She was immediately amazed by her new powers, but the bug creatures were very strong.

"Tor…call your weapon!" Hunter called to her. She nodded, though she wasn't sure how much help her sonic fin would be against these creatures. Willing her weapon into her hand, it appeared in a flash of blue, but definitely was not her sonic fin. In her hands appeared two ornate daggers with golden hilts and the symbol of the dolphin emblazoned on each. The sharp, jagged blades shined in the moonlight like water. She heard a loud clicking sound come from the bug creature, as it thrust its pincer tipped tail at her. Without thinking, she swiped the dagger in her right hand and sliced cleanly through the appendage, causing it to screech in pain and green blood spattered on the ground. A Tengu warrior came at her angrily and she slashed at him. Instead of the usual sparks and minimal damage her weapons in the past had inflicted on her enemies, her dagger passed cleanly through the Tengu bird's left wing. It fell to the ground and the bird screeched in pain, angrily pecking at the blue wind ranger. Tori finished the job and kicked the bird away. It fell to the ground and oozed purple liquid, ceasing movement. She looked at her weapons in awe and pressed on through the army of minions.

* * *

Dustin ploughed through a cluster of ooze men and felt a large bump, as he ran over one. He fired his lasers and looked down, seeing the one he squished that was just a pile of ooze now.

"Ah dude, you got slime all over my sweet new tires," he joked, as he continued to fire his lasers at the moving creatures. Had the situation not been so serious, he would have compared it to one of those retro arcade shooting games. Suddenly, he felt more weight on his bike and looked behind him, finding a pair of huge, yellow bug eyes staring at him. Yelping in surprise, he flipped off his bike and pried the creature off.

"Dude…nasty," he complained, as he sunk into fighting stance. He saw Tori with her new weapons and willed his own, wondering if it would be his lion hammer. But he was pleasantly surprised to see that he had received a weapon upgrade as well. In his hand now was an axe, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. The hilt was golden as well and bore the symbol of the lion. Dustin smirked beneath his helmet and dashed into the furry of minions, chopping and cutting them down with minimal effort. He looked at his weapon in amazement and noticed the open ended hilt of the weapon. He shrugged and pointed it at a Tengu bird. He unknowingly pressed the trigger at the junction between the hilt and the base of the blade, watching in surprise as a yellow orb of crackling energy shot out and hit the bird, causing feathers to rain down on him.

"Sweet! Bonus weapon!" Dustin called, as he began firing at more of the oncoming creatures.

* * *

Shane propelled himself into the air on his storm cycle, feeling his powers over air carrying him. Red laser fire blasted through several minions and Shane heard screams, seeing a few of the Tengu birds terrorizing an unfortunate homeless man who was trying to escape from the alleyway. Leaping off his bike, he flipped into the air and landed on his feet. Appearing in his hand was his new and improved hawk blaster. Listening to the power, he pressed a yellow button on the barrel and watched the handle extend into a hilt, the barrel of the blaster separated and folded out, as a shimmering blade extended forth. Shane wielded the hawk blade and sliced through the three birds with ease.

"Hurry…get to safety," Shane told the man. The man was almost in awe that anyone had bothered to help him when the police and government officers refused and ignored him during the evacuation. He ran as the ranger told him to, but decidedly wouldn't ever forget being saved by a ranger in a time where society was denouncing them.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

Adam was the first one to descend from his glider, purposing landing on an unfortunate Tengu bird.

"Thanks for breaking my fall," he joked, before laying into the birds that swarmed around him with furious punches and kicks. The birds dropped around him and he smirked beneath his helmet, admiring his own handiwork.

"That's what I like to call old school…but I'm interested to try these new genetic powers out that seem to be all the rage these days," Adam quipped, as he willed his new powers forth and the black ranger disappeared into the background of the tree behind him. The idiotic birds squawked and flailed their wings in confusion, screeching and scrambling to find him.

"Hello…I'm right here, bird brains!" he called, watching as they tried to follow his voice.

"What…you can't see me? That sucks," Adam said, as blasts of energy came seemingly out of nowhere and feathers exploded, as the Tengu birds were fried. Adam unmasked his presence, emerging from the concealment of the tree, the barrel of his power axe smoking.

"Sucks for you guys that is," Adam joked, as Rocky sailed down from his glider.

"You didn't tell me you were cooking fried chicken," the red Ninjetti joked. Adam rolled his eyes beneath his helmet, as he proceeded to chop through the oncoming ooze men.

"You and your stomach," he quipped.

"Nah, not even I'd eat these birds. They probably taste like the ass of a chicken," Rocky joked, as he slashed through more ooze men with his power sword. Suddenly, he saw something sharp coming at him from the corner of his eye. He flipped out of the way just in time, as the creature's pincer ended tail swished back.

"Whoa…that is one giant grasshopper," he said.

"Gross…Kim's probably freaking right about now," Adam replied, as he slashed at another bug, who swiped at him with its pincer-like hands.

"It's bug squashing time," Rocky joked, as he saw another come at him. Calling on his new genetic powers, he caught the thing's tail as it came at him, clearly surprising the creature.

"You're so screwed," Rocky joked, as he lifted the creature off its feet like nothing with his new super strength. He started spinning the creature around in the air and then hurled him like a shot put into the side of a building. There was a sickening crunching sound, as the bug creature splattered on the side of a skyscraper, its remnants trickling down the cracked glass.

"Guess I don't know my own strength anymore," Rocky joked, as he rubbed his hands together and rejoined Adam in his fight against the giant grasshopper-looking creatures.

* * *

Aisha slashed her way through the shark-like creatures with her new power daggers and found that being a ranger again really was like riding a bike, as she wasn't nearly as rusty as she thought she would be.

"That's right fish freaks…time to get filleted by the bear," Aisha growled, as she chopped her way through the powerful minions.

"I see you can handle the little fish, but can you take on the big one?" a voice hissed. Aisha looked up to see a large shark looking monster.

"Whoa…and I thought the little ones smelled bad," Aisha joked.

"Amusing…" he sneered, as he disappeared beneath the ground.

"Land shark," it called, as the large fin barreled toward the yellow Ninjetti. Aisha cried out, as she was thrown off her feet and landed hard on her back.

"I hear bear meat is quite tender. Shall we find out?" he hissed, as his large teeth gleamed under the street lights. Aisha pulled herself to her feet and charge at him, daggers positioned to strike. But sparks ensued, as his claws slashed her across the chest. The creature laughed and kicked her hard in the stomach.

"Back off fish breath," Rocky growled, as he slashed the creature with his power sword and kicked him away, before helping his wife up.

"You okay, 'Sha?" he asked tenderly. She smiled beneath her helmet.

"Yeah, thanks babe," she whispered back.

"Aww…how sickeningly sweet, excuse me while I vomit," the creature spat.

"I think it's time to fry him," Rocky growled. Aisha nodded.

"And I know exactly how we're going to do it," Aisha said, employing her new gift of telekinesis to lift the creature into the air.

"Put me down, ranger scum!" he spat.

"Not happening fish face. Have a night flight!" she called back, as she sent him sailing up into a street light. He crashed into the glass covering the light source and it electrocuted the creature.

"Oops…I think I overcooked him," Aisha joked, as the flailing and mortally wounded creature fell to the ground, twitching and sparking violently.

"Die…rangers…" it croaked out, as it summoned a ball of energy in its hand. But the creature exploded, as another ball of energy hit him, before he could unleash his own final attack. Adam stood there, barrel smoking on his power axe and nodded to his two best friends.

"This is getting really messy," he quipped, referring to the fish guts that now covered the ground.

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be eating fish for a while," Aisha replied.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

Cam parried the monster's blade with his samurai sword, having dispatched the bug creatures around him. He definitely seemed to be the King Bug, the minions likely created by him and the other monsters that looked like him. He looked much like his creations, but was decidedly more intelligent, as he proved he could not only sword fight, but strategize and speak as well.

"You fight well, Samurai, but it won't be enough against me," he spoke, his yellow eyes glaring at the green ranger. Cam wasn't the squeamish type, but the creature was decidedly a frightening sight, with greenish yellow scaly skin with black spots, long gangly limbs, wings on his back, and a pointed tail that for some reason, made Cam really nervous.

"I might believe that if I knew who…or even what you are," Cam drawled in response, as he parried another strike.

"I am Phylian, leader of the Burlots. We are a race of insect like beings and proud members of the Ooze Empire. We will be your end, ranger," he stated.

"And I suppose the giant mindless grasshoppers are yours too," Cam said, as his blade was parried again. Phylian smirked.

"Yes, the Burmites are our creations if you must know. We have a unique ability," Phylian informed. The Samurai ranger watched the creature's pointed tail open at the end and secrete a yellowish green blob that fell to the ground, followed by another. The substance convulsed and quickly formed into the mindless aforementioned creatures.

"Well, I think that makes the top of the grossest things I've ever seen list," Cam said dryly, as the creatures advanced on him. Thinking quickly, he sheathed his sword and called upon the powers of his amulet and his new ice powers. Greenish white energy swirled around him, as he launched his new ice beam. The icy energy blasted the creatures, freezing them where they stood. The bugs shriveled and fell dead to the ground.

"The best kind of bug is a dead bug," Cam sneered, smirking beneath his helmet. Phylian snarled and charged at the ranger with fury. Cam drew his samurai sword and prepared to receive his attacks.

* * *

_**Reefside**_

"Everyone just calm down!" the well-built, uniformed man wearing a red beret called over the panicking group of people. The evacuation in Reefside was not going as smoothly, as debris was blocking many roads out of downtown. More screaming ensued, as Tengu birds dived down on the cluster of survivors. The Silver Guardians fired their weapons, but the laser blasts only seemed to be a minor annoyance to the dimwitted, but powerful avian creatures. A blur of red streaked past the police-like force and grabbed the wing of one bird that was trying to pound on a man.

Conner delivered a flying side kick to the creature and swung his Tyranno staff around, batting another away. Kira arrived, back flipping into the fray and sparks ensued, as she sliced her way through with her Ptera grips. The birds swarmed her, but were sent flying back, as her Ptera scream rang out.

Ethan joined them, using his Tricera shield's laser fire to make quick work of them. The birds tried to swarm him, but his dino skin prevented their blows from doing damage.

"It's the Power Rangers!" an excited child called.

"Rangers, you're not authorized to be here. This is a sector nine matter and you're fugitives," the commanding Silver Guardian announced.

"You clowns can't defeat these things," one of the survivors spat.

"Yeah, screw sector nine," a woman called.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please stay calm and proceed through the city," he called, trying to coral the unruly bunch.

"They don't want to go with you. Get that through your thick skull," Kira spat, as she fought off more of the birds.

"We do need to get these people somewhere safe though," Ethan called, as he fired more blasts from his Tricera shield.

"I think you should be worrying more about yourself, rangers," a tall, muscular, green skinned man hissed, as he strode toward them.

"You're one of them…the ones that killed the blue Lightspeed ranger," Conner hissed back. The man grinned viciously.

"Oh no, I wasn't there for that one, unfortunately. General Xin entrusted the destruction of Briarwood to me. He was quite pleased with my work," he sneered.

"You're going to pay for every life you've taken, you green freak" Kira promised fiercely. He chuckled in amusement.

"Kalmec is my name actually. Remember it, little girl, because I'm the last thing you'll see before you take your last breath," he hissed, as he sent an energy blast toward them. The survivors scrambled to get out of the way, but they wouldn't have to.

"Stego Shield!" Kat called, as a violet colored shield shimmered to life before her. The blast slammed into it and wavered, but held out until the blast dissipated.

"Come on, we need to get everyone to safety!" Trini called. The people eagerly followed the silver and green rangers, as they led them away from the battle.

"See if your little shield can block this one," Kalmec hissed, as he fired a much bigger blast this time. Kat braced for the impact, but Jason stepped in.

"Brachio Staff…Energy Orb!" he called fiercely, as his attack met the green skinned commander's. The energy cancelled each attack out and the Duronian Captain smirked.

"Finally…a human on this mud ball that knows how to fight," he hissed.

"That's right ugly…you leave these people alone and you come get me," Jason replied fiercely. Kalmec chuckled.

"Careful what you wish for, gold ranger," he hissed, as he rushed the Brachio ranger. Jason keyed off and charged, Brachio staff ready, and met the Duronian's powerful blade with his own weapon.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

Blake expertly twirled his new navy thunder blade, which he found was the upgraded version of his thunder staff. The double ended blade slashed through the Tengu birds, navy thunder striking and feathers rained down around his path. Suddenly, he saw something sticking out of the ground, a triangle shape burrowing toward him. He was thrown off his feet, as it hit and he rolled onto his back, before getting to his feet, as the creature emerged from the broken concrete.

"Vexacus?" Blake hissed in disbelief.

"No, I'm afraid not, navy ranger. That fool Vexacus is dead. I am merely a member of his race, but I assure you that I am far more powerful," the shark creature's voice boomed.

"Whatever fish face. We fried Vexacus and you won't be any different," Blake promised. The shark creature chuckled.

"You rangers are amusing. I will enjoy adding another ranger helmet to my already vast collection. If you think Vexacus was bad, then I, Sydroxis, will be your worst nightmare," it hissed.

"Yeah, your smell is already a nightmare, so bring it already," Blake joked, as he raised his thunder blade. Sydroxis chuckled, as the ground beneath his rumbled. Several shark fins appeared, as the minions climbed out of the ground. They resembled sharks and their creator and they descended upon the navy ranger.

"Careful…they have a nasty bite," he warned, as Blake engaged in battle with the fish creatures.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

Tommy slashed through the grasshopper creatures with the curved blade of his new Falcon blade. He was making quick work of them, but a purple and black ball of crackling energy blew him off his feet. He landed hard on his back, but quickly rolled to his feet, as Toxa approached.

"Tommy Oliver…the legend himself," Toxa sneered, as she drew her own sword.

"Sure you can handle a duel? That arm looks pretty bad," Tommy jabbed, referring to her injured arm that Hunter was responsible for. She clenched her teeth in anger.

"One arm is all I need to take care of you," she hissed. He smirked beneath his helmet.

"I'm so going to make you eat your words," Tommy retorted, as he launched into battle with her, his blade slamming against hers. They traded strikes and parries, moving along the street, even as some people who had not evacuated looked on. Toxa growled and leapt into the air, before kicking the white Ninjetti in the chest. Tommy skidded to the ground on his back and rolled to his feet, barely bringing his blade up to block Toxa's as she slammed hers down on him.

"You have serious anger issues, lady," Tommy growled.

"Your team killed my father. Should I not be angry with you and seek vengeance?" she taunted. Tommy smirked beneath his helmet.

"Your father and I use that term loosely, is a murdering bastard," Tommy retorted.

"My father is a powerful ruler of worlds…worlds that have prospered under his dynasty. Earth could be the same…think about it. Your kind is no better. They run around, slaughtering each other, all making their own grab for power and importance. You humans thieve and lie to get what you want. Power is everything, as you have so proven with your latest quest on Phaedos. We are not so different, you and I," Toxa taunted.

"We're night and day, bitch. Not all humans are what you describe," Tommy spat, grunting as he parried her blade.

"So you say. It matters not, whether it's one ranger or twenty, father will crush you all," Toxa said smugly, as she kicked the Falcon ranger in the gut and swept his legs out from under him.

"Poor little birdie. Wings clipped so easily," she taunted, as she inched her blade toward his chest.

"You wish," Tommy growled, as he slammed his foot into her right knee. She cried out in pain and dropped to her knees. Purple slime spewed from her mouth, as he swiped her across the face with his blade and then kicked her away.

"Usually I don't hit women…but for you, I made an exception," Tommy sneered, as Toxa wiped her mouth, finding the bloody ooze on the back of her hand. Toxa roared in rage, as she sent a blast of purple energy at him. Tommy dodged and twirled his Falcon saber in a circular motion.

"Falcon Saber…spirit orb!" Tommy called, as he created a white sphere of energy. Toxa's energy met his and they struggled for control, eventually cancelling each other out. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that her minions were falling quickly.

"_Return to the ship, my daughter,"_ her father ordered sternly.

"This is your lucky day, white ranger. I'm going to let you live to tell about this battle, but don't expect it to happen again," she spat, as she disappeared. Tommy scoffed.

"That's right, run back to daddy again," Tommy called, as he headed off to help the others.

* * *

A deafening scream sounded, as waves of pink blew the Ooze men surrounding her off their feet. Kimberly back flipped into the fray of battle, truly feeling alive for the first time in nearly ten years. Calling her power bow, she sailed into the air, firing her sparking arrows. One slammed into the chest of the oozing creature. It sparked violently and exploded into a puddle of ooze.

"Still as gross as it was the first time," she grumbled, as she looked at her ooze covered boots. Another creature came at her and she delivered a hard side kick. It stumbled back and came at her again, grabbing her arm and tossing her away. Kimberly tucked herself into a ball and rolled to the ground, before standing up and drawing her blade blaster. Pressing the blade down into blaster form, pink laser fire ripped through the ooze men.

"Pink is back, disgusting freaks," she said sassily, before returning to the fight…

_The battle rages on in the next chapter…coming soon_


	17. Ch 16: Through the Fire and Flames Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 16! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too from my loyal reviewers! The battle rages on!

Crimson Rising

Chapter 16: Through the Fire and the Flames, Pt. 2

_And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality  
All alone in desperation, now the time has gone  
Lost inside you'll never find, lost within my own mind  
Day after day this misery must go on_

_So far away we wait for the day  
For the lives all so wasted and gone  
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days  
Through the fire and the flames we carry on_

_Now here we stand with their blood on our hands  
We fought so hard now can we understand  
I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can  
For freedom of every man_

_**Song: Through the Fire and the Flames**_

_**Artist: Dragonforce**_

* * *

_**Reefside**_

Tanya phased back to the fight and joined Kat in her battle against the Tengu birds. Kat drew her stego sabers, twin curved blades and Tanya summoned her Para bow. Kat began slicing through the birds, feeling more alive than she had in a very long time. Fighting again as a ranger alongside her friends, old and new, almost made her forget all that she had been through, for the moment anyway. Focusing on the battle, she whipped around and caught a Burmite's sharp tail that it had tried to impale her with between her blades. She batted it away and sliced it off, causing the creature to shriek in pain. Howling in agony, even as it dripped a yellow goo from its wound, it charged at her with its claws. But Kat's Stego shield caused him frustration, as the violet ranger remained beyond his reach. Kat found it ironic how her power was shielding when she had wished so many times to have a power like this when she had been married to Malcolm. The mindless creatures kept trying to penetrate her shield, but a green colored arrow struck him in the head and it fell dead to the ground.

"Thanks T," Kat called, as her shield dissipated.

"That's what ranger sisters are for," Tanya chimed back, as she phased behind another bug and shoved him away, before firing another arrow with the precision of a seasoned ranger. Kat joined her, slicing her way through more of the bird and bug creatures, sparing none.

* * *

Trini returned from seeing the people safely out of downtown and found several disgusting bug creatures in her way, along with a Burlot soldier, who leapt to attack her with his pincer ended tail. Trini back flipped to evade it and summoned her Ankylo glaive, a long staff as tall as her with a blade on the end.

"Your energy will make a fine addition my reserve, silver ranger," the grasshopper looking creature hissed. He was obviously more intelligent and Trini had already deduced that the Burmites were his creation.

"I don't know what has deluded you into thinking that you're getting any of my energy, but you're sadly mistaken," Trini retorted, as she smacked his tail away with her glaive. Raising her free hand, she lifted the small pieces of debris around her and hurled them at him with her telekinesis. The creature dodged them all and then smirked at her.

"Interesting technique, I'm actually impressed. Now let me demonstrate another specialty of mine," he hissed, as he lifted his tail.

"Our tails do much more than create the Burmites. It's how we feed on our favorite food source…living energy," he said smugly. Trini watched the appendage, ready to evade or parry it, but she did not expect the tail to shoot out toward the lead Silver Guardian that was still trying to interfere.

"Look out!" she cried. He didn't head her warning and Trini gasped in horror, as he was pierced in the chest. Nothing in any of their days as rangers could prepare them for what happened next. Screams of disbelief sounded, as the man began to shrivel. He screamed in agony, as every bit of him was slowly sucked up like liquid. The officer's clothes and red beret fell aimlessly to the ground. Kira fell to her knees, the brutal death being too much for her and Conner held her, trying to help her up.

"Come on Rock star, don't check out on me," he consoled her. The creature chuckled evilly.

"You're next, silver ranger…" he taunted, as his tailed shot toward her.

"TRINI!" Jason cried, allowing the Durionian an opening to land a blow to his chest with his sword. Sparks spewed from Jason's armor, as he landed painfully on his back.

"It's Triassic time. You go after Trini," Conner said, as he stepped in and helped the gold ranger up.

"Thanks rookie, I owe you," Jason said, as he headed off to help his wife, who was dodging the creature that was determined to literally eat her.

"You guys up for this?" he asked. Kira and Ethan nodded, lending their powers to the Triassic shield. Conner transformed into the Triassic ranger and wielded the shield in sword mode.

"You don't really think you can take me on, do you boy?" Kalmec challenged.

"I think you'll be surprised," Conner replied simply, as he charged him.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

Billy fought with a ferocity he'd never known. If one didn't know that he was underneath the blue armor, then no one would have ever guessed it could be him. But he was looking for payback and when he spotted a Duronian henchman, he immediately dispatched the shark creatures around him, setting his sights on the monster that belonged to the race responsible for Cestria's murder. Calling his power lance, he disappeared into a blue streak, using his new super speed to land blow after blow on the unsuspecting Duronian. Jin'kar, a lieutenant under Xerxes, younger brother to Xinshing, growled murderously, as the blue ranger stopped before him, staring him down through his visor.

"You'll pay for that ranger," he hissed. Billy smirked beneath his helmet.

"Make me," Billy spat, as he busted his lance in half and hurled one of his forked weapons at the alien. Jin'kar batted it away with his sword and advanced on the ranger. Billy used his speed as an advantage in the spar, but the skilled warrior he faced soon found an opening and grabbed him around the neck, lifting him off his feet. Billy felt the air forced painfully out of his lungs, as his opponent's knee was in his abdomen. He tossed the breathless blue ranger to the ground and hovered above him. Raising his sword, he prepared to gut the ranger, but Billy raised the other half of his lance and stopped the blade. But he felt himself straining against Jin'kar's oppressive strength. He chuckled.

"Goodbye blue ranger," he sneered.

"Hey ugly!" Aisha called, catching the creature's attention. Jin'kar looked up, only in time to see a loose metal sign coming at him. Ironically enough it happened to be a stop sign that Aisha used her telekinesis to lift and hurl at the alien.

"Telekinesis…I like it," Kim mentioned, as she saw the Duronian start to get up. A deafening scream thrust him on his back again, as he held his ears in pain.

"A louder scream…cause that's what you need," Billy groaned sarcastically, as his ears rang incessantly.

"You're welcome," she shot back sarcastically.

"Damn Kim, I think I'm deaf," Rocky joked, as he and Adam arrived.

"You will be if you keep it up," she threatened in good humor.

"So this is one of those green creeps?" Adam asked.

"Yes…his kind killed the Aquitians," Billy growled.

"And Trey and Chad," Aisha added.

"I say we go a little old school again and blast him, if you get my meaning," Adam suggested, as he cocked his power axe. Kimberly slammed her power bow across the barrel of his axe. Aisha connected her power daggers and Billy followed with his power lance. Rocky completed the weapon by attaching his power sword, but handed the weapon to Billy.

"This one is all yours wolf man," Rocky said. Billy gladly took the weapon and aimed.

"Stupid rangers…your childish toy won't be enough to kill me," Jin'kar growled.

"This ain't the old power blaster, ugly. It's the new and improved version," Aisha retorted, as Billy fired.

"And more than enough to kill your sorry ass," Billy growled, as he put a hole in the alien, who was now gaping in horror at what they had done to him.

"Nice…" Tommy said, as he arrived and decided to add his own touch to finish the job. A white orb of energy appeared in his palm and grew in size until it was the size of a basketball. The Falcon ranger hurled it at the Duronian, who screamed in horror. The energy engulfed him and he exploded, leaving nothing but ashes behind. The six of them turned, surveying their work, as dead minions and henchmen littered the ground, just as the Silver Guardians arrived.

"Tell that dick face you're working for now that the power rangers are back," Tommy spat, as they disappeared in a flash of teleportation.

* * *

_**Reefside**_

Trini yelped in surprise, as the Burlot's tail coiled around her waist.

"Gotcha," he sneered. A fierce battle cry was heard, as Jason sailed through the air, bringing the Brachio staff down on the creature's tail, slicing through the appendage and freeing his wife. The Burlot held his severed appendage, howling in pain.

"Let's end this bug," Jason said. Trini nodded and readied her Ankylo glaive.

"Brachio staff…Energy Orb!" Jason called.

"Ankylo glaive…Thunder Strike!" Trini called, as her glaive sparked and launched silver lightning, which combined with her husband's golden orb of energy. The Burlot barely had time to scream, before the energy engulfed him and left nothing but ashes behind.

* * *

Trent found himself facing a peculiar shark looking creature, which was stronger than he anticipated. After his drago arrows failed, he found himself shadowboxing the fish creature. Suddenly, the shark disappeared.

"All right, where did you go? You left your smell behind!" Trent called, keeping his awareness open.

"Land shark!" Trent heard it call. He turned, but could not evade the giant fin coming at him. He was hit and it threw him several feet back. He landed hard and rolled away, as the creature appeared from the ground, chuckling in amusement.

"I've had enough of this," Trent growled.

"Super Dino mode!" Trent called, as he disappeared into a white streak, landing several devastating blows to the creature. It struggled to stand and clenched its fist.

"We'll call this one a draw, white ranger," it growled, before disappearing.

"Yeah…run away coward," Trent hissed.

* * *

The Triassic ranger dueled the Duronian general, but soon learned that the green skinned alien was in a different league. His power and strength exceeded that of a morphed ranger by far, even in Conner's second most powerful form.

"You're slowing, red ranger, but I'll give you props for putting up a decent fight. I wasn't expecting you to still be breathing at this point," Kalmec goaded.

"Rangers don't give up, especially not to space trash like you," Conner hissed. Kalmec laughed and batted the red ranger away. He hovered over the young red Dino ranger, who was struggling to climb back to his feet.

"Is that why I have ranger helmets on my mantel for display?" Kalmec sneered.

"Yours is an interesting looking one. I think it will make a fine addition," the alien hissed, as he raised his blade for the killing strike.

"Not today ugly," Jason cried, as he kicked the general back.

"Fry this creep," Kira told him. Conner nodded and called the battlizer. The armor molded around him and he launched into aerial mode.

"Battle Blast!" Conner called, firing the super weapon. The blast engulfed the alien foe and there was an explosion.

"Yeah, he's history now," Ethan cheered, as Conner landed. But as the smoke cleared, they were horrified to find the Durionian general down on one knee, looking scathed, but with only minor injuries.

"We'll call this one a draw, ranger. I'm impressed, red ranger. You and I will meet again," he promised, before disappearing. Conner collapsed in near exhaustion, a few of the others joining him.

"That sucked," Kira grumbled.

"I don't think I've ever been this tired after a battle…not even after the final with Mesagog," Ethan confessed.

"We barely won," Trent mentioned.

"It can only be called a win if you mean that we all made it out alive, cause that was not a victory," Jason said gravely. Trini touched his arm.

"But we did make it out. It just means that training will be essential," she reasoned.

"Let's get back. I'm worried about Aiden," Kat said. Jason nodded, as they cancelled their morphing sequence.

"Hayley…do you read me?" Tanya called into her communicator.

"_I've got a lock on you guys when you're ready," _Hayley answered.

"Hayley, I told Cassidy and Devin to hide at Cyberspace. Can you get a lock on them too?" Trent asked. Hayley was silent for a moment, before responding.

"_I've got a lock on them too,"_ Hayley responded.

"We're ready," Jason confirmed. The eight rangers disappeared in color coded streaks of light, while across the city; two civilians also disappeared in streaks of white light.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

Hunter stared at the four green skinned creatures. Three of them clustered around the one that seemed like their leader. He was a little disappointed that the one that had killed Chad wasn't present, because he wanted to personally make him pay for the blue Lightspeed ranger's death. But for now, he would settle with these four. He watched the ooze henchmen, Burmites, and Tengu birds swarm around him.

Crimson thunder sizzled from his left hand and shot out, violently striking the bird creatures and obliterating them all in one single blast. Crimson flames swirled from his right hand and shot out, expanding into a huge wall of fire, incinerating the Burmites instantly. The ooze men registered a bit of nervousness, but slowly descended on him. He felt the power speaking to him and willed one of his new weapons into his hand. The blade of the saber glimmered in the moonlight and he examined the crimson and golden hilt, emblazoned with the Phoenix.

"_Your father's weapon…the Phoenix Saber is no ordinary sword. It is one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy and can be wielded without being morphed as well. It is your turn to pick up where your father left off. Don't doubt your abilities, sweetheart. You are more than worthy of this power…it is your birthright," _Dulcea's voice spoke to him.

"_I won't let you down…mom…" _Hunter told her silently, as his disappeared into his Ninja streak. All that could be seen was a crimson blur and all that could be heard was the slashing noise of the saber, slicing through the ooze henchmen. Crimson heat emanated from the crimson ranger's armor, incinerating the ooze remnants to nothing before the substance could even hit the ground. The four Duronian men looked on, surprise on three of their faces, while their leader made no attempt to show any emotion. The surprise on the three seasoned warrior's faces quickly disappeared and was replaced by smug smirks.

"Impressive, crimson ranger. We have yet to find a worthy opponent on this dreadful mud ball. Perhaps you won't disappoint," the leader spoke.

"If you're looking for a fight, then you came to the right place. After I grind you to ashes, I'm going after the one that led the attack on Mariner Bay…and then your Master and his daughter are next," Hunter spat. The four Duronians laughed, before the leader spoke again.

"I doubt you can get past me, ranger and I certainly know that you are no match for my older brother," the leader refuted.

"Yeah, General Xinshing eats punks like you for breakfast," the one called Falker sneered.

"Falker is right, except I doubt you can get past us, much less General Xerxes," another spat, indicating their leader. The other two laughed.

"Yeah and while General Xerxes is crushing your bones to dust, Golchek and I were talking about going and entertaining ourselves with the little blue one over there," the final one known as Datuun sneered.

"Yes…human females are fun to break and I've been told this one is…especially delicious," Golchek hissed, licking his lips. Rage burned inside Hunter, as they talked about going after Tori.

"You touch her…it'll be the last thing you ever do," Hunter growled. Laughter bubbled from the three green skinned monsters.

"Then by all means, crimson ranger. Let's see if you can stop me," Datuun said, as he drew his blade. Hunter raised the Phoenix blade, as Datuun charged him. Sparks of crimson fire were expelled from the blade each time Datuun's sword made contact. He felt his muscles burn, as the Duronian soldier's blade slammed against his and they struggled for control in a deadlock.

"So…you're the son of Zander. Can't say that I'm impressed. I've killed rangers far more skilled than you," Datuun hissed.

"Yet I'm still standing," Hunter hissed back. Angered by this, Datuun embedded his knee in the young crimson ranger's abdomen. Hunter groaned in pain and felt the alien wrap his hand around his neck, before lifting him up and hurling him through the windshield of a nearby abandoned, damaged car.

"Stupid, arrogant child…you really think you have even a ghost of chance?!" Datuun roared. Hunter groaned, as he pulled himself out of the wrecked car. He feigned injury for the alien, but felt any wounds his armor had not stopped already miraculously healing. He didn't even understand all his powers yet or how they even worked, but he remembered his mother's words. He had all the power he needed. It was the Duronian before him that didn't realize how outmatched he truly was…but he was about to find out.

"Poor deluded Phoenix ranger…all that power and no clue how to use it," Datuun chuckled.

"Watch…watch as we wipe out everything you love and then everyone you love…starting with the pretty blue one. Then…we'll put you out of your misery too and Lord Ooze will add this galaxy to his vast collection," Datuun threatened. Hunter was about to strike again when Tori's scream pierced the air. The other two, Falker and Golchek had been true to their word by going after her. His heart nearly stopped when he saw one of them shoot an energy blast at her from his hand. Being the skilled warrior she was, Tori raised her daggers, crossing them in front of her chest. She screamed, as the blast slammed against her weapon and while it protected her from harm, the force of the energy threw her back into the side of a ruined building. She hit the wall hard and slumped to the ground. Disoriented, her visor opened and she slowly attempted to get her bearings. The pain was nothing compared to what it could have been without her new, more resilient armor, but the wind had still been swiftly and painfully forced from her lungs. But she wouldn't get the chance to regain her footing, as a vice-like grip latched onto her arm. Her blue eyes widened in horror, as two of the green skinned warriors leered over her. She willed her visor to close, but one was too quick, as he stopped it by grabbed her chin and forcing her to look into his empty black eyes.

"Now…don't cover such a pretty face," Golchek goaded. She felt bile rise in the back of her throat, as his scaly fingers touched her cheek. Tori shrugged away in repulsion and tried to wrench her arm from the grasp of the other. But he was too strong.

"Now, now, you're not going anywhere. Haven't you figured out yet that little girls don't belong on the battlefield with the men?" he goaded. Tori glared at him and kneed him between his legs and slammed her foot down on his, before wrenching her arm away, as he growled in pain, while the other alien laughed at his friend.

"We do love feisty ones that put up a fight," he sneered, as he elbowed her between her shoulder blades and she went down.

"TORI!" Hunter cried, as he started toward her, but an energy blast from Datuun hit him square in the chest, throwing him onto his back.

"HUNTER!" she cried in horror. Hunter's visor opened and his helmet folded back, leaving his head exposed, as he stared up, dazed from the smoking wound in his armor. He yelped in pain, as the green skinned alien grabbed a fist full of his sandy blonde hair and forced him up to his knees.

"Watch…watch them destroy everything you love, starting with her. Lord Ooze can't make your father pay for his imprisonment for all those years, so he has ordered that the son be made to suffer for the father's crimes. If you think the wounds you have now are bad, they are nothing compared to the ones he will inflict…or the ones my associates are about to inflict on her," Datuun hissed. But Hunter was barely listening, as the spirit of the Phoenix roared in his ears, his minor wounds already healing, and his power swelling inside him. Stormy blue eyes locked on the beasts that were pulling her off the ground. Hunter thrust his head back into the alien's nose as hard as he could, wrenching his head out of his grip and got to his feet. His helmet closed around his head again and his saber appeared in his hand.

"Except I'm not wounded anymore…I'm the Phoenix or did you forget that my wounds heal?" Hunter asked. He didn't wait for an answer and strode toward the two that were terrorizing Tori.

Tori screamed and kicked her legs, as one held her arms and the other wound up his fist, ready to deliver a devastating blow to her stomach. She knew they were trying to force her to demorph and if she did, she knew what they would do to her in her civilian form. She braced herself for the blow and clenched her eyes shut.

"Thunder shield!" Hunter called, as the crimson energy shimmered to life before the blue wind ranger, cutting off her attackers.

"Get away from her," Hunter growled. The two chuckled.

"Make us…" Golchek hissed.

"You asked for it," the crimson ranger replied, as his saber was suddenly ablaze with crimson flames.

"Power of Fire!" Hunter roared, as a massive torrent of fire barreled toward the two aliens. Their smug arrogance disappeared and was replaced by shock and fear. Tori felt the heat from the flames, as the two aliens were engulfed, but her love's shield remained strong. She covered her eyes with her arms when the crimson flames became blinding, but she heard the pained screams from the two Duronians, as they were incinerated to nothing more than ashes. Datuun slowly backed away from the Phoenix ranger in horror and the other rangers slowly gathered around Tori, as the minions and alien soldiers gathered with their leaders. Even Xerxes could no longer hide his surprise at the display of power from the young ranger.

"Well played Phoenix ranger, we'll call this one a draw. Be prepared for next time, because you'll be facing me and I'm not as weak as my pitiful soldiers. Have fun explaining your extraordinary powers to the nosy humans," Xerxes said, noting the arrival or Gorbin and his silver guardians, with Wes and Eric on their heels, trying unsuccessfully to keep them out of it.

"Holy shit…I'm worked," Shane mumbled, as his, Dustin, and Blake's visors opened. Tori's remained open, as Hunter and Cam's helmets folded back.

"Yeah, if all the future battles are like that one, then we're in trouble," Cam whispered to Hunter. The elder Bradley brother nodded, knowing how grave the situation was and how lucky they were.

"I was under the impression that this team no longer had powers. Care to enlighten us as to where these powers came from, Mr. Bradley?" Gorbin questioned, as he surveyed the battlefield. Hunter glared at him darkly, but ignored his question, as he turned his attention to Tori.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded, as Cam's communicator beeped.

"What is it Hayley?" Cam asked.

"_The others have driven back Ivan's forces in Angel Grove and Reefside. The damage is done, but it's over for now," _Hayley informed. Cam sighed a little in relief.

"We'll be back soon," he replied, as they cancelled their morphing sequence and their armor disappeared. Hunter wasted no time and pulled her into a tight hug, one which she welcomed fully and returned, by wrapping her arms around him.

"Are you sure you're okay? You got hit pretty hard," Hunter mentioned. She nodded.

"I'm fine…really," she promised.

"Not that I don't just love tender moments, but someone better start answering my questions," Gorbin demanded. Hunter scoffed.

"That's funny…I missed the part where we are supposed to answer to you," Hunter snapped. Gorbin smirked.

"All rangers and co-conspirators have been declared vigilantes. You can no longer legally operate without our involvement and you will be arrested if your refuse to cooperate," Gorbin threatened. Shane smirked.

"Guess you'll have to find us first," Shane responded.

"And we'll work for you when hell freezes over," Hunter added, as the six of them, plus Wes and Eric turned to leave.

"You'll regret this, Mr. Bradley, I assure you. We have ways of imprisoning even rangers now. Refuse us and you'll regret it. I'm not someone you want to cross," Gorbin threatened. Hunter ignored him and took Tori's hand, as the eight of them disappeared in streaks of teleportation. Gorbin glared at the spot where they had been.

"I want that Ninja school found. Get everyone we can spare scouring the woods around Blue Bay Harbor as soon as possible," Gorbin ordered. His newly appointed Silver Guardian's commander saluted.

"Yes sir!" he called, as another officer approached.

"Here's the video of the battle you wanted," the officer said, handing the disk to the General.

"I'll watch it on the way back to the base," Gorbin said simply, as they retreated to his Hummer.

* * *

Malcolm Renaldi sipped at his brandy, as he watched the news coverage from the safety of his New York City penthouse apartment. He wasn't surprised often, but finding out that his ex-wife was a former power ranger and now active ranger again threw him for a loop. It actually boosted his ego a bit to know that he had so thoroughly controlled the little bitch, so much so, that it baffled him that she even knew martial arts since she had never even hinted at that during their marriage.

He had been livid when his sniveling employees had come back, spouting off about two kids that had tossed water and of all things lightning at them when they tried to kill Katherine. He hadn't believed them of course and rewarded all five by ordering his other men to put bullets in them all for failing and then telling such a ludicrous story. But now everything was making sense. The blonde slut had run to her ranger friends and was now expecting them to protect her.

"Pathetic as usual, Katherine," he muttered, as he finished his drink and picked up his phone.

"Fuel the jet," he spoke into it, pausing, as he clearly listened to the person on the other end.

"Tell the pilot I'm going to Blue Bay Harbor, California," Malcolm ordered, as he left with two of his bodyguards carrying his bags. A man that didn't think himself all powerful might have been intimidated by going up against power rangers, but Malcolm was seemingly unworried about that obstacle. He was determined to make Katherine pay and then raise his brat in his image. He was Malcolm Renaldi and was considered one of the most powerful men in the world. Power Rangers were not going to stop him…or so he told himself…


	18. Chapter 17: Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 17! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**Ginerva Riddle Malfoy: **Thank you, for you to say that this is the best PR fic you've ever read is a huge compliment. I'm honored and humbled that you think so. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. :)

**fallingstar22: **Yep, that was the first of many battles and Ivan's lackeys aren't going to win so easily or at all for that matter. Yep, Gorbin is despicable and you haven't seen the half of just how icky he is. He's going to give Ivan a run for his money. Not in power, but in evilness in future chapters. Stay tuned. ;)

**MMPRfansince93: **Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. And the intensity won't be dying down anytime soon. ;)

**garnetred: **Thanks, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. :)

**Harry2: **Yep, problems brewing on multiple fronts and the ride is only just beginning. :)

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045: **Thanks, so glad you're enjoying the story. Lots of action and romance to come. As for your story, I will try to take a look soon when I can. I have a few other fics beside this one and work full time, so busy, busy, but I will see what I can do soon. :)

**RHatch89:** Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

**Skull RiderSP: **Thanks, glad you liked the fight scenes. As for sector nine's plans, only time will tell. I definitely have a few surprises in store, but I haven't fleshed out the whole story yet so anything is possible at this point. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 17: Secrets

_From all the truth that I've said  
Come by it honestly I swear  
Thought you saw me wink, no  
I've been on the brink, so_

Tell me what you want to hear  
Something that will light those ears  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time, don't need another perfect lie  
Don't care if critics ever jump in line  
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

_**Song: Secrets**_

_**Artist: OneRepublic**_

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

The rangers all nearly collapsed in exhaustion when they arrived back at Ninja Ops just moments apart. The Overdrive rangers were being treated for minor injuries, as their ranger suits didn't quite have the protection the new teams had in their more armored gear.

"You guys won!" Dax cheered. A few of them shot him weary glances.

"Thanks, but I don't know if I'd call that a victory," Tommy responded.

"But…we saw Hunter kill like two of those green creeps on the viewing screen," Rose mentioned.

"You killed two of the Duronians?" Jason asked, impressed. They had fought one too, but it had ended in a draw.

"Uh…yeah I guess. They're unbelievably strong though. It would have been a different story without my healing powers, because I took some hard hits," Hunter warned.

"Healing powers too?" Will asked in disbelief, though some detected a twinge of envy in his voice. Hunter shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess…I don't really even know myself," he said, overwhelmed by all his new abilities that he didn't yet understand or had yet to master. He felt his Uncle's hand on his shoulder.

"Your training will teach you everything you need to know," Zedd assured him, as he and Kanoi exchanged a weary look. Tori picked up on it first.

"What's going on?" she asked, noticing the exchange.

"Something else happened this afternoon while we were gone," Zedd began.

"What?" Hunter asked.

"The Thunder Academy was destroyed," Kanoi announced sadly. Hunter felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"What?" Blake uttered in disbelief.

"My students…" Hunter muttered, as Tori was instantly by his side.

"They are safe. Sensei Omino took my advice and sent the students home as we did here a few days ago…but I'm afraid he and most of the staff were there when the blast hit," Kanoi informed sadly.

"It was Toxa…she used her zord to blast it from afar. We sent the Overdrive rangers to put out the flames…but it was too late. The blast destroyed everything upon impact," Hayley told him sadly.

"It's my fault…she did it to get revenge on me," Hunter said, anguish in his voice.

"No…this is Toxa's fault…Ivan Ooze's fault. Of that, there is no doubt," Zedd responded quickly.

"I provoked her into doing it…" Hunter mumbled.

"You saved my life, bro. You saved me from her and the bitch killed them for it!" Blake yelled.

"Blake…" Hunter started.

"No…you always do this! Will you just stop blaming yourself?" Blake snapped.

"Dammit Hunter, you're not responsible for every fucking thing that goes wrong in our lives! You blamed yourself for mom and dad dying! You blamed yourself for Lothor brainwashing us! If anything, this one's on me, bro. You were just saving my ass…again," Blake roared in anger and grief, as he used his Ninja streak to escape Ops.

"Blake…" Hunter cried, but Zedd stopped him.

"Let me handle this one," Zedd suggested. Hunter looked unsure and Zedd smiled.

"He's your brother so that makes him my other nephew and I also know a bit about being the younger brother," Zedd reminded, as he disappeared into his own green Ninjetti streak.

"It's getting late. We have a lot to figure out, but we should probably all try and get some sleep. Since Mr. Collins' mansion isn't an option anymore, we can take more to mine," Andrew suggested.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea anymore either," Tommy responded.

"Why not?" Mack asked.

"Because they're going to try and arrest your dad now, including anyone that's with him," Jason answered.

"They won't get past my security, I assure you," Andrew responded. Tommy shook his head.

"You don't know that. They know too much about all of us. We've all been too careless during our times as rangers and unfortunately, we're all going to have to fly under the radar now when we're not in ranger form," Tommy said.

"Tommy's right. We don't even know how much longer it will be until they find this place," Hunter added.

"Yeah man and if these guys can get past Cam's security, then they can get past yours," Shane added. Andrew put his hands up.

"I appreciate what you're all saying, but there's no way they'll get to us once we're inside my compound. We'll be safe there," Andrew argued, as the Overdrive rangers followed him.

"Will anyone else be joining us?" Mack asked. The room was silent.

"Sorry Mack, while we appreciate yours and your dad's hospitality, Tommy and Jason are right on this one. My team has lost too much to take that chance again," Carter spoke first.

"My dad is one of the most powerful business men on the planet and they put him behind bars just a few hours ago. His and my accounts are all frozen. None of us are safe," Wes added bitterly.

"Tommy and Jason were rangers way before any of us. We need to follow their lead," Hunter agreed.

"Just because we haven't been rangers for very long doesn't mean we don't know anything!" Will snapped.

"Will…that's not what they're saying," Kira assured the black Overdrive ranger.

"We just want you guys to be safe. That General Gorbin guy said they have ways of holding even rangers," Tori added.

"And something tells me that we shouldn't take his threats lightly. In a lot of ways, these sector nine guys could be just as dangerous as Ivan Ooze himself," Adam stated.

"Yeah, buck up mate, no one's attacking you. But you guys and us, the Mystics, are still the rookies here. The legends know what they're doing," Xander chimed in.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of being called a rookie," Ronny mentioned.

"It's not meant to offend you. We're just looking out for our kind here," Conner tried to explain.

"Maybe we're not your kind," Will replied with a shrug. Conner blanched.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the red Dino ranger asked.

"Guys…come on, this isn't solving anything," Mack said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"No Mack…you may be our red, but you're way too nice," Dax retorted, siding with Will.

"It means that we're about the only ranger team that hasn't had someone go all evil on them or completely fail to destroy the bad guys in the first place. The "legends" failed to destroy their enemies and they came back to haunt us in the form of Thrax. Oh and wasn't there the whole Serpentera incident a few years ago? Did you "legends" manage to destroy any of your baddies?" Will stated coldly. There was dead silence in the room again, as the black Overdrive ranger divided his team from the rest, instantly creating a rift.

"That was uncalled for, Will," Andrew spoke harshly.

"The truth hurts," Will replied with a shrug.

"Maybe you're right and I for one am glad that your team didn't have anyone go through the pain of being put under a spell and forced to do terrible things. But we can't let our differences divide us…especially not at a time like this. You guys can go home to San Angeles if you want, but just be careful, because things are going to be different now that everyone knows who we are," Tommy warned. Will seemed to nod in acceptance and against their advice, Cam teleported the Overdrive rangers and Andrew to their home base.

* * *

"Care if I join you?" Zedd asked, as he sat next to Blake in the spot he'd picked in the forest clearing.

"Will it matter? You're going to sit here anyway," Blake grumbled, making Zedd chuckle.

"You're right…I just thought you might like to talk to someone a bit more objective than your teammates," Zedd replied.

"You're Hunter's Uncle. That hardly makes you objective," Blake said.

"Perhaps, but you're Hunter's brother, which makes you my nephew too by extension. And I have a bit of experience in the department of being the younger brother," Zedd replied. Blake seemed to take an interest in this.

"Were you always in Zander's shadow?" Blake asked bluntly. Zedd smirked.

"Always, though my brother always included me and always tried to take care of me. It was hard to be mad at him sometimes, but I managed," Zedd stated.

"Sounds like Hunter. He's always hovering, like I can't take care of myself and always blaming himself for everything. I love my brother, but I'll admit I was enjoying being on my own with Factory Blue," Blake admitted.

"Was?" Zedd asked. Blake scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure there's probably a nasty message from Roger Hanna on my phone telling me that my contract with them is terminated," Blake replied.

"It's not fair, I know. I came here to make sure you all had what was needed to fight Ivan Ooze. I never planned on your identities being revealed and that your own people would turn against you," Zedd apologized.

"Yeah…and here I am worrying about myself again. Hunter's going through way more than I am and he's _still_ worried about me," Blake shook his head at his behavior.

"You've been on your own for a while and have only had to worry about yourself. It will take some time, but you'll adjust back into life as a team again. Taking care of yourself is important too. Zander was always too busy taking care of everyone else that he neglected himself most of the time. He would have been a complete mess most of the time if not for Dulcea," Zedd mentioned. Blake smirked.

"That's Hunter to a T. Glad he's Tori's problem now," Blake joked, making Zedd chuckle and pat him on the shoulder.

"We should get back though, before the hothead hyperventilates because you've been gone too long," Zedd joked, glad that they had found a common ground of sorts.

"I know, he's worse than my mom used to be," Blake jabbed, as they laughed.

* * *

"Man…that punk had a lot of nerve," Eric grumbled, referring to Will.

"Easy Eric…we're all just under a lot of stress," Wes replied.

"Yeah…like how most of us have probably been fired from our jobs. I'll warn everyone now. You probably have some angry voicemails on your phones," Jason said.

"The FBI let you go?" Kat asked. Jason nodded.

"Oh yeah…but I knew my badge was gone the minute you guys told me about sector nine. Gorbin has known I was a ranger all along, which means that they knowingly allowed me into the bureau even though they might have known about my ranger past," Jason acknowledged.

"Yeah, I'm sure this whole thing goes way deeper than Gorbin. He's probably just the front man," Adam added.

"I'm sure I'm fired too," Tommy mentioned, as Elsa, Trent and Anton arrived through the portal.

"That makes two of us. I'm afraid Reefside High announced that we're both out of a job," Elsa said.

"I was fearing the worst. I thought maybe they had gotten to you," Tommy said, as he shook Anton's hand.

"Without Trent's camouflage, they probably would have. But I had to get a few very important things from my mansion, which is crawling with government agents right about now," Anton said, as he set the silver case on the table.

"What's so important that you risked going back to your house?" Jason questioned.

"My entire company's assets and accounts have been frozen and I should be as broke as any of us right now since the FBI has frozen all our accounts," Anton stated, as he opened the case.

"Should be?" Tommy questioned, with a smirk.

"I may not be Mesagog anymore, but neither of us ever trusted anyone much, so fortunately, much of my personal wealth has been stored away in a very safe place where they'll never find it," Anton said, as he handed a disc to Hayley, who sat at the Ops computer terminal. Hayley slipped the disc in, as Anton continued to explain his plan.

"In my time as Mesagog, I was well aware that I was not the only one watching the rangers every move. I had no idea how much they knew, but I did know they had spies in Reefside," Anton said, pausing for a moment.

"After I was free of Mesagog, I sought out Mr. Collins and told him the whole story. We agreed that a day could come where we would have to protect our boys and all the rangers should your identities ever be exposed. He agreed and we jointly funded this," Anton said, gesturing toward the screen. On it, they saw an island that was reminiscent of the one Mesagog had operated from, but decidedly less dark and creepy.

"An island?" Shane raised an eyebrow, now quite understanding.

"A new ranger base," Anton corrected, as he zoomed in and showed a very large compound in the center.

"And they won't find it?" Hunter asked, now with rapt attention. Anton nodded.

"This island works much the same way that Mesagog's did. It's technically right here on Earth, but in a sort of dimensional pocket so to speak. We can only teleport there or use invisiportals if I decide to activate the network again. For now though, I think teleportation is safest," Anton explained.

"Yeah, invisiportals might be discovered by them more easily. From what I've seen, teleportation isn't within their grasp yet," Billy said, as he approached, examining the island on the screen.

"Alpha should almost be done with our new communication devices. I'll be able to re-route everyone's SIM cards to work with the new phones, but without them being traceable. Adam and I will go get him in the morning and see if there's anything else in the catacombs of the old command center that we might need," Billy added. Tommy nodded.

"We better all try and get some sleep. We can make due with sleeping bags in here for tonight and then we'll pack up and relocate tomorrow. We shouldn't stay here any longer than that in case they do find the school," Tommy said.

"We've got camping gear in the storage closet. There should be enough sleeping bags in there," Cam mentioned, as he headed there with Shane and Dustin to help. Hunter sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you okay?" Tori asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Blake," he replied.

"He'll be fine and none of this is your fault," she reminded.

"I know…but they're going to take his career away from him and I hate that!" Hunter exclaimed in frustration, as she put her arms around him.

"It was so hard for me to let him go when he left…but it's what I always wanted for him. I wanted him to have a different life. I didn't want him to continue to be a ninja. I never even wanted him to be a ranger the first time," Hunter fretted.

"You can't fight destiny, bro," Blake said, as he came down the stairs with Zedd behind him.

"You okay?" Hunter asked.

"Yes Mommy, I'm a big boy now," Blake retorted, expecting his older brother to roll his eyes.

"Cute," Hunter shot back, as Blake playfully punched his shoulder.

"Let's all call it a night and get some rest," Cam said, as he, Shane, and Dustin started passing out sleeping bags. They agreed and soon, Ninja Ops was dark.

* * *

_**The Power Chamber**_

_**The desert on the outskirts of Angel Grove**_

"This is great Alpha, you did an amazing job," Billy complimented, as he and Adam examined the new communication devices that Alpha created. The eager little robot had worked nonstop and managed to not only make them for the twenty rangers that were now active again, but also the remaining Lightspeed rangers, Wild Force, Mystic Force, Wes and Eric.

Adam smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"I guess I had no idea you still had all the equipment here to do all this," Adam mentioned, looking around at the dusty and still wrecked surroundings that had once been the power chamber before Divatox's goons trashed it back in 1998.

"Zordon prepared for everything. The prototype and materials were waiting for me," Alpha responded. Billy smirked.

"I knew it. Let's see this place then Alpha. There may be more that Zordon wanted us to find," Billy said.

"But…Zordon said that…" Alpha sputtered.

"Not to let us see it unless the situation was dire?" Adam asked.

"Oh aye yi yi…" Alpha fretted.

"Alpha, our situation is as dire as it's ever been. Ivan Ooze is back, our identities were revealed, we're all wanted fugitives, and Hunter is Zordon's nephew. I'm betting there are things he wanted Hunter and the rest of us to know," Billy reasoned.

"Oh, I hope you're right Billy," Alpha fretted, as he pressed a white button on the console, teleporting the three of them down into another corridor, one the black and blue Ninjetti rangers had never seen.

"Whoa…" Adam said, as he looked around the new room. It was small, but the shelves were lined with all kinds of things and there was an empty tube where Zordon had once resided.

"Welcome to Zordon's study," Alpha stated.

"Alpha…what's on all these data discs?" Billy asked.

"History mostly, of Eltar, Earth, Aquitar, Triforia, and many others. There is also extensive historical records of every known ranger team in the universe," Alpha explained.

"Amazing…think of all we could learn," Adam mentioned. Billy nodded with a smile, sharing his thirst for knowledge.

"Unfortunately, it will have to be for another day," Billy replied.

"Alpha, do you know what Zordon would have wanted us to have in a time like this?" Adam asked. The little robot turned and trotted over to the console. The shelves on the far wall slid aside, as Alpha pressed a red button. Adam and Billy stared at the crimson Phoenix emblazoned on the door to a safe that had literally been chiseled into the rock. Alpha inputted the code and opened the safe, before taking out a black metal case, this also emblazoned with a crimson Phoenix.

"For Hunter, though Zordon's message is for all rangers," Alpha explained. Adam nodded and took the case. Adam and Billy stared at it in disbelief. Since Zordon's passing, the original teams had clung to his memory and the regret that they had never gotten the chance to say goodbye.

"Zordon loved all of you and he recorded a message not only for his nephew that he watched from afar, but for the ones he considered his children as well," Alpha told them.

"I miss him," Billy said, fighting back his grief over everything that had happened.

"Me too, but he probably knew something like this could happen and we need his guidance more than anything right now," Adam said. No matter what Zordon's message was, they knew the original teams would take great comfort in whatever he had to say.

"We better get the phones and get back to Ninja Ops," he added. Billy nodded, as Alpha teleported them back to the main chamber where they retrieved the cases with the new communication devices, before the three of them teleported back to Blue Bay Harbor.

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

The dawn rays were slowly filtering through the entryway to Ninja Ops and a few began to stir. Adam and Billy had gotten up very early and were already gone to the power chamber. Rocky groaned, feeling his sore muscles protest.

"Wow…I feel like I got ran over by a zord. I don't remember feeling this sore after a battle…ever," Rocky mumbled.

"You're getting old," Aisha chimed sleepily, without missing a beat. The red Ninjetti attempted to glare down at his sleeping wife, but he melted at the sight of her curled up with their sleeping daughter.

"I'm not old. Not even ranger armor can protect us from all the crap we got thrown at us last night," he grumbled, as he saw Cam stumble in from the residence hall and make his way to the Ops computer terminal.

"There's someone at the portal already," Cam said, as Rocky stumbled over.

"Uh…I'm pretty sure Conner is over there, so how is he at the portal too?" Rocky asked, eyeing the Conner double on the monitor, who looked quite angry.

"That's Eric McKnight…Conner's twin. He's an air Ninja student here," Cam explained.

"Well from the look on his face, I'd say that he wasn't clued in on his twin's extracurricular spandex activities in high school," Rocky quipped. Cam shook his head.

"I'm so glad my only family knows about this," Cam mentioned. Rocky patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, be glad. I'm sure I have an angry voicemail in Spanish from my hysterical mother waiting for me on my phone," Rocky replied, as Eric McKnight came down the stairs in a huff.

"Please tell me you weren't followed," Cam whispered. Eric shook his head.

"I used Ninja streak to get here. I may be here to kill my brother, but I wouldn't betray the school," Eric spat back.

"Hey, go easy on him, kid. He wasn't allowed to tell you and with good reason. Look at what they've done to our lives in the space of twenty-four hours," Rocky warned. But the other McKnight twin ignored him and made a beeline for his sleeping brother.

"Wake up…Conner wake up…" Eric hissed.

"Wha…Eric, the hell are you doing here?" Conner mumbled.

"Get up…we need to talk," he snapped.

"Dude…I couldn't tell you. It's just not something we wanted publicized for obvious reasons," Conner tried to explain, as he sat up, while running a hand through his messy chestnut locks.

"Dammit Conner…I'm your twin! How could you keep this from me?" Eric demanded to know, as he lightly shoved him.

"Don't push me, dude. You think this is easy? If you watched TV last night, you probably saw that being a ranger is not fun and games," Conner hissed.

"But I was chosen and the Earth needs us, so you can bet I'm going to step up. When's the last time you did anything for anyone other than yourself?" Conner spat. Eric rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you're one to talk, jocko. You used to be the most self-centered, ego driven jerk on the planet," Eric spat in return.

"That's the key word, bro…used to be. I've changed and I'm proud to be doing something that matters, no matter how hard it's going to be," Conner stated. Eric huffed. "The cops were at our house for like five hours interviewing us about you last night! The coach called dad and told him how you walked out on the team and threw away your career! What the hell?" Eric said. By now, everyone was waking up.

"Did you not just hear anything I had to say?" Conner hissed.

"What good is soccer if there's no Earth to play it on?" Conner almost roared, before Kira touched his arm and gently tugged him back. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair again, taking a calming breath.

"Don't you think you're being a bit over dramatic? Those guys at house last night said that if you would just work with them, then this alien guy wouldn't be a problem," Eric surmised.

"Those government creeps have no idea what they're dealing with," Hunter grumbled, as he pulled himself from the floor.

"Yeah, they said you'd say that, dude," Eric flitted.

"As long as you're a student of mine, you'll address him as Sensei Bradley," Shane said firmly, reprimanding his student.

"Yeah, you sent all the students home, Sensei Clarke and I'm not so sure I'll be returning," Eric responded. Shane let no emotion show on his face and aimed a hard stare at him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shane responded simply.

"Eric…listen, you don't want to trust those creeps. Hunter is right. They don't understand, trust me," Conner pleaded.

"Trust you? Really dude?" Eric snorted.

"I couldn't tell you! No matter how much I wanted to!" Conner pleaded. But Eric only shook his head.

"Whatever bro…you've made your choice and it wasn't me. Or Mom and Dad," Eric replied, as he left.

"Eric!" Conner called, but his twin continued on his way. He felt Kira's hand on his shoulder.

"He'll come around eventually. He's just angry right now," Kira tried to assure him.

"I hope you're right," he replied with a sigh.

"That was probably a good indication of how today is going to go," Rocky mentioned. As everyone slowly started to rouse, many headed to the student locker rooms to use the showers and clean up. After that, breakfast was soon underway and then training commenced. Adam and Billy arrived back with Alpha and distributed the new phones which they had programmed to work with the same SIM cards and numbers without being traceable. The mood at the school quickly began going downhill, as the rangers began listening to the messages on their phones…


	19. Chapter 18: Spiderwebs

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 18! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**RHatch89:** Thanks, glad you're enjoying it.

**Skull RiderSP:** Wow, what a nice review. I'm honored you think so highly of this story. Glad you're enjoying it and the music. I love using music to set the tone of a chapter. Hmm...Eric vs. Conner, that would be interesting. I think I would have to put my money on Conner. ;)

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045:** Yeah, sorry the last chapter was a little depressing. This one is a little bittersweet too and will throw you some curve balls. Sorry about the OO team. I don't dislike them, but with the situations I've created in this story, they're the youngest team and most confused right now. It might lead to some not so good decisions. But yep, Mack is the sensible one. ;) Hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**Black Phoenix Ranger:** Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

**ae1102:** Thanks, glad you like the story. Zordon's message is in this chapter, so read and find out. :)

**MMPRFanSince93:** Thanks, glad you liked it. Zordon's message is in this chapter, so stay tuned! :)

**Harry2:** Yeah, this is just the tip of the iceberg on what sector nine is up to. Zordon's message is in this chapter, so read on. :)

**Fallingstar22:** Yeah, the phone messages aren't so pretty and you'll see that in this chapter. Stay tuned to find out Zordon's message. :)

**Special AN:** Before the chapter proceeds, I just want to clarify that I don't dislike the Overdrive team or any of its members. For the purpose of this story though, they are the youngest team and in the situations I have created, they may be more susceptible to straying from the right path, so to speak. Just keep that in mind going forward. I will keep them in character as much as possible, but they are human and they make mistakes, which will be very evident in coming chapters. Some characters may fall into the gray area, not evil, but not making good decisions either. Now on with the story

Crimson Rising

Chapter 18: Spiderwebs

_Now it's gone to deep (Now, it's gone too deep)  
You wake me in my sleep (Wake me in my sleep)  
My dreams become nightmares (Dreams become nightmares)  
'Cause you're ringing in my ears_

_Sorry I'm not home right now  
I'm walking into spiderwebs  
So leave a message  
And I'll call you back  
A likely story, but (Yeah) leave a message  
And I'll call you back_

_**Song: Spiderwebs**_

_**Artist: No Doubt**_

* * *

_**On the outskirts of Stone Canyon**_

General Gorbin sat in his Hummer, as they returned to the military base, located just outside of Stone Canyon. He watched each battle with avid interest, but none more so than the one that had taken place in Silver Hills. The elemental powers of these rangers were remarkable, mostly because they could wield them without any ranger powers at all. The other teams had genetic abilities that were very interesting too. But so far, the powers the crimson ranger was exhibiting was far beyond anything he had ever observed since they had started monitoring the rangers in 1996. There was something very different about him, but luckily, he had an informant on the inside feeding him information and would soon know everything there was to know about Hunter Bradley. The Hummer stopped and the door opened, as a figure got in and shut it, before the vehicle continued on.

"I hope you have some useable information this time. The government doesn't pay you to spy to learn things we already know," Gorbin mentioned, as the person dropped their hood. Will Aston, elite spy and black Overdrive ranger, smirked smugly.

"Oh, I've got the goods this time…and you're not going to believe it," Will replied. The black Overdrive ranger was well aware that he was betraying not only his own team, but the entire ranger legacy. Will Aston wasn't an evil person, but he was a spy, always looking out for himself first and foremost. He worked for the highest bidder, so when Gorbin had approached him with a lucrative offer to spy on the other ranger teams after the Thrax incident, Will couldn't turn it down. He truly did love his friends and teammates, but he had no such affection for any of the previous ranger teams.

"Then get on with it. What have you got?" Gorbin asked.

"Not so fast, General. The information I have is pure gold and I want you to double my salary. My friends are going to be pissed at me and if I'm going throw those relationships away, then you're going to make it worth my while," Will demanded.

"What you have had better be good then," the General responded. Will smirked.

"Watch this and then tell me it's not worth the money," Will said, handing him his video phone. The general took the device and played the video…

* * *

_**Ninja Ops**_

The next few hours around Ninja Ops was tense, as many of them spent time listening to messages or on their phones with family members. Shane's conversation with his brother had gone very well, as Porter already knew and had explained everything to his parents. To Shane's complete surprise, they not only understood, but they were proud of him.

Dustin's mom had been nearly hysterical on the phone, as had Rocky's. While Dustin's mom had eventually calmed down and pleaded with Dustin to be careful, Rocky's had continued crying and lashed out at him before hanging up. He knew she didn't mean most of it, but he hadn't been himself since.

Tanya, Tommy, Aisha, Trini, and Jason had much better talks with their parents as most of them knew already. Though all were wary about their recent return to power, they had their support.

The same could not be said for Adam, who hadn't even talked to his dad. There was simply a voicemail left by the elder Park simply stating that no son of his would be a vigilante. Everyone had expressed their shock and sympathy to Adam after learning that his father was basically disowning him, but Adam didn't seemed surprised. He had left Ops quickly after that to get some air and Tanya had followed, hoping he might open up to her like he always did during their high school days.

"No…it doesn't work like that, Roger! Being a ranger never had anything to do with my abilities on the track," Blake spat, as he listened to his angry manager.

"I know you have to terminate my contract…why are we still talking?" Blake asked irritably, pausing.

"What? Sue me for what?" Blake yelled, scoffing as he listened to Roger.

"So you're going to terminate my contract and then sue me because I didn't meet my obligation?" Blake snorted.

"Look, whatever man, do your worst," Blake snapped, as he hung up on him and stormed outside to walk off his temper, which he was dangerously close to losing.

"That didn't sound good," Kira mentioned.

"How did your parents take things?" Conner asked.

"They're worried…but I think they're proud of me. They don't like how people's constitutional rights are being violated under the guise of an alien attack. They see right through it, fortunately, so they're going to lay low," she replied.

"And yours?" he asked Ethan. He winced.

"They are pissed that I left school. All my dad can ramble on about is how much tuition money I just wasted and how I have no future now. He can't see the bigger picture behind all this," Ethan said.

"Oh and dude, I wouldn't watch the news either. I'm warning everyone now to stay off the internet too. They're dissecting our lives and chopping us to pieces. It's not pretty," Ethan said.

"What are they saying?" Conner asked. Ethan looked at him and shook his head.

"It's better you don't know," Ethan replied.

"Eth…what aren't you telling me?" Conner pressed. The blue Dino ranger sighed.

"They're pretty much saying that every game you ever played is in question now. There's footage of you using your super speed on the battlefield…so they think you cheated in all your games," Ethan explained.

"That's ridiculous!" Kira exclaimed, but Conner only shook his head.

"Why aren't you upset about this?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I am, but I'm just not surprised. They're going to do that to any of us that have ever won awards or medals. They're even doing it Blake, so you know that Dr. O and Jason will probably be scrutinized for any martial arts competitions they ever won. And the Olympic committee might even try to take away Kimberly's silver medal she won at the Pan Globals," Conner said, pausing for a moment.

"It's not fair, but there's nothing we can do about it," he replied dejectedly.

* * *

"I'm not very good company right now," Adam called, as he noticed Tanya come around the large tree that he was sitting against.

"That's okay, I'll do the talking if I have to," she replied, as she sat beside him. Adam smirked, knowing that it was no use in telling her to leave him alone. She was far too stubborn for that. And he secretly didn't want to be alone right now anyway.

"Your father is wrong and I think he'll see that someday," Tanya tried to assure him. But Adam shook his head.

"You don't know my dad. He was never happy with my decision to not go to the police academy and open my own dojo. And now he finds out that I was a ranger in high school and I'm back in the game? Trust me Tanya, my dad's pride will keep him from ever seeing eye to eye with me. He's done with me," Adam said sadly.

"Then he doesn't deserve an amazing son like you," Tanya replied fiercely. He looked at her, taking in her beautiful face, her raven curls that framed it, those gypsy eyes staring straight through him as they always had. He sighed, trying to push away the stirrings in his heart. He had never forgotten how beautiful she was or the way he still felt about her. But after high school, he had let her go to pursue her dreams in the music industry. He knew that she would be amazing and that he was probably ruining what little chance they had to be together by not going with her. But someone had once told him that in some cases, when you loved someone, you had to let them go to fly on their own. And if it was meant to be, then they would return to you. Naturally, Adam thought that he and Tanya weren't meant to be when they didn't find their way back to each other...until now.

"I never had much confidence in myself as a kid. Martial Arts changed that…but being a ranger changed that even more. It made me who I am and the more I became the man I knew I was supposed to be, the further my dad and I drifted apart. I didn't expect him to understand, much less accept me as I am…but it still hurts," Adam said, his voice breaking a little. Tanya felt her heart breaking with him. She had missed him so much over the years. Every relationship she had after him had failed miserably to the point that she had all but given up, because she knew she'd never feel about anyone the way she felt about him. Distance had separated them and they had stubbornly allowed a measly two hundred miles keep them apart.

Tanya's arms went around him, hugging him tightly.

"I know it hurts…but your parents are missing out on being able to say they're the parents of the most amazing man I've ever known," Tanya whispered, as she gently pulled back and gazed into the warm chocolate brown eyes that she loved to get lost in.

"They're missing out on knowing you…the man I love, but I guess that just means that I get to have you all to myself," Tanya said, as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"You…you love me?" he asked.

"I never stopped…I just let my career get in the way. Look at where that got me," she replied.

"No…you needed to go. I told myself that if I let you, then you would come back to me if it was meant to be," he told her. She smiled.

"Here I am," she replied. He grinned and pulled her into his arms. With an eagerness they both felt in their hearts, their lips met passionately.

"Don't ever let me go again," Tanya said breathlessly, as their lips finally parted. He smiled.

"Never gonna happen," he promised, sealing it with another kiss.

* * *

Hunter sighed and noticed Tori's pensive look.

"Did your mom call you?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, but I'm not surprised. When you're only sober fifteen percent of the time, it's hard to even remember what day it is, let alone that you have a daughter," Tori replied, a little more bitterly than she intended. He winced.

Tori was always so calm and collected, so no one would have ever guessed that she came from a broken home. Her father, whom she had been very close to as a child, mysteriously disappeared when she was twelve. The authorities suspected foul play or that he simply abandoned them, because the marriage was on the rocks, as Tori's mom was already unstable. Her father had been a gifted engineer and was very well off after selling a few of his designs to the military. His mysterious disappearance left most of his money behind, some for Tori's mom to live on, but most was put in an account that only his daughter could access, almost like he had planned the whole thing and knew her mother wouldn't use the money to take care of her.

The whole thing had been baffling for the local police and with no leads or traces of any kind of foul play, the case quickly went cold. After he had been gone for five years, he was declared legally dead.

Naturally Tori had been crushed when he disappeared, but she had Shane and Dustin to help her through it. Tori's mom had done a steady downward spiral though until she was a full blown alcoholic. Tori had come home most of the time to a passed out mother or worse a drunk mother who had brought some sleazy drunk guy home with her.

At fifteen, after almost being raped by one of her mother's sleazy boyfriends, she packed up and left, using her father's money to get her own apartment. She checked on her mother a few times a week after that and truthfully was preparing herself for the day when she would find her dead, for she refused to get help or take any of the help her daughter had tried to get for her.

"If you want to go check on her, I'm sure we can sneak into the city after dark," he suggested. She shook her head.

"We're not risking getting caught for her. She doesn't give a damn about me so why should I care about her?" Tori asked.

"Because you're a good person and you're nothing like her," Hunter replied. She sighed.

"She probably has no idea what's going on anyway, so what's the point?" she asked.

"Well, we should probably try to clue her in. If the sector nine creeps come sniffing around her house looking for you, she's libel to do something stupid unless she knows. Besides, you said the other day she looked better, that maybe she was really trying to stop drinking this time," Hunter replied.

"She always says that, but she can never stay on the wagon," Tori said sadly. Hunter put his arm around her and kissed her hair. She sighed.

"I'll think about it, but I really think we should focus on getting to the new base. I just have a feeling that we're not going to be safe here much longer," Tori replied. He nodded.

"I know what you mean. Something definitely feels…off," Hunter mentioned.

"Maybe this will help," Billy said, as he placed a black case, emblazoned with the Phoenix, on the table. Hunter and Tori stood up, gathering at the table with the others.

"Where did this come from?" he asked.

"Zordon's study, down in the catacombs below the power chamber," Adam responded, as he returned with Tanya. Most took notice at how the two held hands now, but said nothing.

"Zordon's study?" Jason asked.

"Yep…and Alpha says that he wanted Hunter to have what's in here when the time came, but that his message was for all of us as much as it is him," Billy said.

"If it's for all rangers…shouldn't we ask the Overdrive rangers to return?" Alyssa asked.

"After that little punk decided that his team was above the rest of us? I don't think so," Eric replied bitterly.

"Will just isn't used to being a part of a team. I don't think he really meant what he said," Kira said.

"Oh he meant it. He may be a spy and good at hiding his true feelings, but they were written all over his face when he said that," Conner added.

"Wait…he's a spy?" Jason asked. Most of the other rangers nodded.

"A really good one too. That's why Mr. Hartford chose him to be a ranger," Xander responded. Jason and Tommy exchanged a glance.

"But he's a ranger…he wouldn't betray us like that…would he?" Ethan asked.

"We're not sure yet…but we need to be careful from now on," Tommy said, leaving it at that, though the look he and Jason had shared told that they suspected more.

"Uncle…what is it?" Hunter asked, noticing the distressed look on Zedd's face.

"Did the Overdrive rangers watch the recording we made when I was telling you about your origins?" Zedd asked.

"I…I don't know," Hunter said.

"Mack watched it with us Mystics. He said he'd relay the story to his other teammates, but Will seemed really interested too and watched it with us," Xander explained.

"Dammit…" Zedd swore.

"Uncle, we don't know that Will has anything to do with Sector nine yet. We may just be paranoid," Hunter replied.

"What does your gut tell you? What is the power telling you?" Zedd asked, looking his nephew in the eye. Hunter's gaze turned from hopeful to worried.

"That's what I thought. I never intended for them to know about you. I didn't want them to single you out," Zedd stated, angry at himself for not being wary enough of the newest team of rangers.

"It doesn't matter if they know, uncle. I'm not ashamed of who I am," Hunter responded.

"I know, but it's not that, Hunter. If they know the story, then they'll know you're my nephew and they'll blame everything I ever did as Lord Zedd on you too. They will not distinguish you from me. They will try to make you pay for what I did," Zedd lamented.

"I don't care. I'm no angel myself and I don't care what those creeps think. It's not going to stop me from fighting the real enemy or leaving people at the mercy of a rising totalitarian government," Hunter replied passionately. Zedd smirked. He was definitely the son of Zander and Dulcea.

"Then we need to hear Zordon's message and then relocate. Because if Gorbin does find out about your origins, he'll either want you killed or he'll try to find some way to make you work for him," Zedd told him.

"Well, we should open this then," Jason said, as Billy examined the locking device.

"It's not quite that simple. Zordon would have made sure only the right people could get into this," Billy said, as he showed them the lock. Tommy touched it and recoiled his hand.

"It's freezing…" the white Ninjetti exclaimed. All eyes turned to Hunter and he rolled his eyes. With two fingers, he called his powers and released a tiny crimson flame that melted the lock, allowing the case to snap open. They looked inside and Hunter picked up a circular device, examining it.

"What is it?" he asked, Billy in particular.

"I think it's a hologram device," Billy responded, as he set it down and pressed a button. In the center of the room, a life sized image appeared of human looking man in a white Ninjetti uniform and long cloak over it. The image dropped his hood and his face was instantly recognized by the original ten, though they had never seen their mentor like this. While Zordon's energy tube had always projected a bald image of him, this man had a short crop of what looked like brown hair.

"_Hello rangers…if you are seeing this recording, then it means that I am gone, but a great evil has called you back,"_ Zordon said, pausing for a moment.

"_For that, I am truly sorry. When you passed on your powers, I had hope that you could all move on and have normal, happy lives, away from the dangers of life as rangers. Sadly, things usually never work out the way we want them to,"_ Zordon continued, a great sadness evident in his voice.

"_If you are seeing this recording, then it also means that my nephew has learned of his origin and destiny,"_ Zordon stated, as he turned his head and seemed to look right at Hunter.

"_Hunter…one of my deepest regrets is being forced to watch you grow from afar and not being able to be a part of your life. When the Bradley's were murdered, it pained me immensely that I had to watch you and your brother experience so much pain. Dulcea and I handpicked them not only because they were thunder ninjas, but because they were good people that we knew would love and care for you. I'm sorry I could not be there for you,"_ Zordon said regrettably.

"_I knew, even though I would probably not get to see you grow into a man, that you would become a great one like your father was and whatever evil is facing the Earth now will be vanquished by you and your team. Never doubt yourself,"_ Zordon continued.

"_For thousands of years I searched for a way to break out of my time warp without causing my own death…but I am afraid that I learned that it wasn't possible,"_ he said sadly.

"_However, I did discover that there was possibly a way your mother's curse could be broken,"_ Zordon announced, causing a ripple of surprise to go through the rangers.

"What?" Hunter mumbled.

"_Because your father's essence reversed the effects of the aging curse, then I am certain the answer to freeing her from the restraints of the Temple lies in you. Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to persuade Ninjor to tell me what must be done, but I am sure he knows. He's a stubborn ass when he wants to be and probably has no idea what's going on. Don't leave the Earth unprotected, but a visit from the son of Zander may persuade him to tell you what must be done to free your mother,"_ Zordon stated.

"Whoa…Zordon cussed," Rocky whispered. Aisha elbowed her goofy husband in the ribs.

"Shh…" she scolded.

"_I only wish that I could give you more. I wish that I could spare all of you from the battle ahead. Be there for each other, never doubt that good will prevail over evil, and most importantly…love each other. There is no greater power than love,"_ Zordon stated, pausing for a moment.

"_My charges, I know you must be feeling overwhelmed by all this. It is not the life I wanted for any of you, but I know that you've already rallied together and that your leadership will be key in the battles to come. I wish I could have spared you from whatever evil you're facing, because you were all the children I never had,"_ Zordon continued.

"_Do not divide yourself by what teams you belonged to, for you are one now. In the dark days that could be ahead, love and family will be the things you can cling to. I know that you will all make me proud. Goodbye rangers and goodbye my nephew. May the power protect you all," _Zordon finished, as the hologram faded. There was a long silence and Billy was the first to speak. The original ten rangers were all blinking back tears. Just hearing their old mentor's voice, a man that was like a second father to them all, was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time.

"There's more in here," Billy mentioned, as Hunter looked inside the case. He pulled out a gold scabbard of sorts with a long crimson strap and looked at his uncle with questioning eyes.

"Ah, your father's scabbard. He carried the Phoenix saber in this on his back almost at all times, which I suggest you start doing too," Zedd explained. Hunter looked at it, admiring the impressive craftsmanship of the design.  
"This really belonged to my father?" Hunter asked in awe. Zedd nodded with a smile.  
"Your mother crafted it for him so you can imagine that it was one of his most prized possessions. It was salvaged…after his death and Zordon saw to its safe keeping so that it could be passed onto you one day," Zedd stated. They all watched in amazement, as Hunter willed the impressive Phoenix saber into his hand, the blade gleaming under the lights and the ruby encrusted golden hilt shimmering mystically. Zedd helped him strap the scabbard crossways over his chest and the crimson ranger sheathed the sword on his back. Zedd didn't hide the pride on his face, as he gazed at his nephew.  
"Do you think it's true? That this Ninjor person can tell me how to free my mother from Vile's curse?" Hunter asked.

"Your father's essence reversed the rapid aging and his powers probably could have broken it, but he had to use the rest of his essence to see that you could be protected from Vile's magic completely. So if any powers can free her completely, then it would be yours," Zedd replied.

"Why do I sense a "but" coming?" Tori asked. Zedd smirked.

"As you can imagine, Ninjor isn't fond of me and Zordon's right, he can be an ass when he wants to be. However, he did have great respect for your parents and Zordon. It can't hurt to go try to gain an audience with him. He'll want you to prove yourself worthy, but I don't see that as being a problem. The fact that you can wield the Phoenix saber will go a long way. Not even Mr. "I'm a Master swordsman" can wield it," Zedd quipped, imitating the Ninja master.

"Why can't he wield it?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, I mean it's a cool sword, but it's just a sword, right?" Shane asked. Zedd smirked in amusement.

"Perhaps...why don't you let Shane test it," Zedd suggested. Tori cocked her head to the side and watched her boyfriend unsheathe the saber.

"He's not going to be able to, is he?" Tori whispered.

"You're the quick one. Too bad the boys on your team are a little slow," he joked, causing Tori to chuckle. Hunter shrugged and handed the hilt of the sword to Shane. The minute Shane gripped the hit of the Phoenix saber, he fell to the floor like a lead weight.

"What the..." Shane wondered, as he tugged on the hilt. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't budge it from the floor.

"Dude...how do you lift this thing?" Shane asked incredulously.

"It's not heavy, no more than any other sword," Hunter replied, with a shrug.

"Let me try," Blake said, as he tried lifting the sword, but had the same problem as Shane. Jason and Tommy smirked.

"There's a failsafe in the saber, isn't there?" Tommy asked. Jason nodded and rubbed his hands together. He knew he wouldn't be able to lift it, but he wanted to try. Jason's muscles twitched and tightened, but there was no moving it.

"A fail safe?" Kira asked.

"Only a Phoenix Ninjetti can wield the sword. It's extremely powerful and it would be devastating if it got into the wrong hands, so it was created so only the right person could use it," Zedd explained. Hunter picked up the impressive weapon and sheathed it again, deciding that carrying it with him at all times was a really good idea. It would provide him and his friends with the ultimate protection even when they weren't morphed.

"So, where exactly is Ninjor's Temple?" Hunter asked.

"In the desert of despair," Tommy answered.

"Nice name," Blake mentioned.

"Trust us, it lives up to the name too," Adam replied, remembering their trip there.

"The desert of despair is here on Earth, but in a dimensional pocket, much like our new base. You can only teleport there and then to get out, you have to reach Ninjor's Temple, before the teleportation system can pick up your signature again," Billy explained.

"Yes...unfortunately, the moment you do go, Ivan Ooze will likely seize the opportunity to wage another attack," Zedd warned. Hunter nodded.

"Then I'll wait," he replied a little dejectedly. Zedd patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, the right opportunity to go will present itself," Zedd assured him, as his nephew looked through the rest of the contents of the case. There were data chips, mostly labeled as historical records that Hunter decided he would look at later and finally, he noticed another circular hologram looking device. He picked it up and a three dimensional image appeared above the device. It was a family portrait, his parents and an infant between them, not unlike the photo that Cam had of his young parents and himself as a baby.

"Something else your father always carried with him," Zedd told him. Tori smiled and squeezed his other hand. Hunter smiled at her, before turning the device off and putting it in his pocket.

"We should finish packing up and teleport to the new base," he said. The others nodded in agreement. They were mostly ready, as Anton told them that their personal effects would be all they needed, for he had made sure the new facility had everything else they needed and more. Most of them had taken turns teleporting to their homes with Tommy, Jason, Adam, and Trent, allowing them to sneak past the cops or Silver Guardians that were staked out around most of their places of residence, thanks to the aforementioned ranger's powers of invisibility and camouflage respectively. Quickly and quietly, they had packed what they needed and teleported out again. They heard Cam's early warning system chime and he quickly pulled up the area in which the scanner had been tripped. On the screen, they saw dozens of Silver Guardians, armed with laser equipped blasters and guns spreading throughout the forest. And being led by two of his head men was General Gorbin himself.

"Surely they won't know the waterfall is the portal if we keep it closed, right?" Conner asked. Cam shook his head.

"They're heading right for it…like they know what it is. We've been betrayed. Take a look," Cam spat. Following Gorbin was none other than Will Aston.

"Damn him…" Tommy growled.

"I knew it...what I'd tell you? Once a spy…always a spy. Hartford messed up bad when he picked a spy to be ranger. Spies always work for the highest bidder," Eric spat.

"Yeah and being a ranger doesn't pay the bills," Ethan mentioned.

"I'm gonna kill him," Eric spat.

"No, you're going to help everyone else and start making trips to the island with all our stuff," Jason replied, pulling rank.

"Tommy and I'll go head them off," Jason added.

"They want me. I'm going too," Hunter stated.

"I should go with you," Zedd decided.

"No Uncle…they might decide you're a threat and kill you on the spot. Please…go with the others," Hunter pleaded. Zedd sighed and agreed, but Tori took his hand.

"I'm going with you," she insisted.

"Tor…" he started to protest.

"That wasn't a question, thunder boy," she retorted, causing the others to snicker in amusement. Hunter rolled his eyes, as he pulled her along. Jason, Tommy, Adam, Tanya, and Conner followed, despite the protests from others. The scrambling around Ops began, as they made the first teleportation trip, while Hunter and the others went to head them off…


	20. Chapter 19: Waterfall

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 19! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

**RHatch: **Yeah, Will's made some bad decisions and he doesn't really get what it means to be a ranger. The power has blinded him and this is only the beginning on the conflict. Stay tuned. ;)

**MMPRFansince93: **Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. This chapter kicks the chilling stuff up a notch too, so enjoy. :)

**Harry2: **Yep, though the visit to Ninjor is a ways off yet, as things get even more complicated in this chapter.

**WideOpenSpacesGirl045: **Thanks, glad you liked the chapter, especially the Adam/Tanya moment. :) And if you're angry with Will and hate Gorbin now, then I'm afraid that this chapter will make you hate them more. Hold onto your seat. :)

**garnetred: **Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. As for Will, time will only tell. ;)

**fallingstar22: **Thanks, normally I don't think any ranger would betray their own, but when you change the circumstances on characters, they are going to react differently than normal. I chose Will as the most likely, because not only is he a spy for a living, but he hasn't been a ranger long. I don't dislike him, but him being a spy was just a plot twist that I couldn't resist. Glad you enjoyed the Adam/Tanya moment too. Buckle up, because this chapter gets a little bumpy. :)

**Grass King: **Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. I explain where Tyzonn has gone in this chapter. Since Ivan Ooze is threatening other worlds too, Flurious is no longer the biggest threat and I'll be showing that in coming chapters. As for Daggeron, I've only seen a couple episodes of Mystic Force so I won't be including him or much more than mentions of the Mystic Force rangers. They'll likely remain behind the scenes. As for Merrick, he may or may not make an appearance later on. If he does, it will not be a large role. The rangers in focus will be the Morphin/Zeo, NS and DT teams. Others will have minor roles, like Wes and Eric, while others will have mentions or small roles behind the scenes. It's a very large cast I'm dealing with, but I promise to include all that I can without having the story skid off the tracks, so to speak. :)

**tomwilliams1990: **Thanks, so glad you're enjoying it. Wait no longer, here's the next chapter. I try to update this one once a week, providing life doesn't get in the way. Enjoy! :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 19: Waterfall

_And all my life, I've tried to find you_

_And every breath I breathe is for you_

_I refuse to let you go_

_I refuse to let you go_

_And all my life, I've tried to find you_

_And after all, you're a waterfall, crashing down_

_Crashing down _

_And after all, you're a waterfall, crashing down_

_Crashing down_

_Tonight_

_I feel right_

_When I'm by your side, when I'm by your side_

_Tonight_

_I feel right_

_When I'm by your side, when I'm by your side_

_Tonight  
_

**_Song: Waterfall_**

**_Artist: Eyeshine_**

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

_**Outside Ninja Ops**_

"Well, it seems we have a welcoming committee. How lovely," Gorbin said sarcastically, as the seven rangers filed through the portal and it closed behind them.

"Why Will…why would you do this?" Tori asked, hurt evident in her voice.

"Don't take it personally Tori. This isn't about any of you really. I was hired to do a job and I did it. That's what a spy does," Will replied coldly.

"So this is about money for you?" Conner asked in disbelief. The black Overdrive shrugged.

"Despite that old sentimental saying, you can put a price on friendship. Since I don't really have affection for any of you, I'm only risking my friendships with the Overdrive rangers and with the money I was paid, I can buy a new team if I have to. But…something tells me I can convince them to work with me eventually," Will responded.

"You're working for sector nine?" Hunter asked. Will shrugged indifferently again.

"Like I said, the money is too good to pass up," Will replied flippantly.

"Yes and Mr. Aston showed me footage of a very interesting story. I must admit, the return of Lord Zedd wasn't something I was anticipating," Gorbin said in amusement.

"He's not that evil being anymore. He's changed," Hunter insisted.

"Just because he is parading around in a new body doesn't mean we will let him get away with everything he did. And you yourself are in a lot of trouble as well, Mr. Bradley," Gorbin retorted.

"Hunter hasn't done anything wrong," Tori defended. Gorbin ignored her.

"I had your records pulled and it seems that your birth certificate is a forgery. You're an illegal, undocumented person on this planet. However, I'd be willing to forget all that if you simply take my offer and work for us," Gorbin stated.

"We're never going to work for you, no matter how much you threaten us," Hunter retorted

"Then I'm afraid you are all under arrest," Gorbin announced. Hunter smirked.

"You really think you can arrest us?" Hunter goaded. But Gorbin smirked.

"No…I know you'll use your powers to evade arrest. Those same powers have left me very intrigued. I watched your battle in Silver Hills and there's something I'm curious to test," Gorbin said.

"And what's that?" Hunter asked.

"This," Gorbin responded, as he drew his gun and shot Hunter point blank in the chest. Tori's blood curdling scream pierced the air, as her lover fell with a hard thud. The other rangers stared in disbelief, as the blonde Phoenix ranger lay unmoving, blood slowly soaking the material of his Ninja uniform.

"Hunter…HUNTER!" Tori screamed hysterically. Tanya was beside her instantly, trying to console her by stroking her hair, while Adam knelt beside the crimson ranger, feeling for a pulse. He found none and his head shot up, his frightened eyes mirroring his girlfriend's.

"I thought you said he had the power to heal himself," Gorbin asked Will. The black Overdrive ranger shrugged.

"He said he did. Guess he was wrong," Will replied in an uncaring voice.

"You…YOU DID THIS!" Tori screamed, as she lunged at Will, who only smirked at her display. Conner and Tanya held her back and though Will didn't realize it, they had just saved him from being torn apart by the water ninja. Jason and Tommy started for Gorbin, but his guards leveled their blasters at the two seasoned rangers. Neither moved, but quietly willed their morphers into their sight, ready to protect themselves and the others if the men decided to start firing.

"Sorry babe, but you're pretty enough. You'll find a new man in no time," Will joked callously. Adam looked at him in disbelief, as Tori's gut wrenching sobs seemed to have no effect on him other than indifference. Tanya held her in a tight hug and stroked the sobbing girl's hair.

"You're a ranger…how can you stand there and have no reaction to the death of one of us?" Adam asked in disbelief. Will sneered and smirked down at him.

"I'm not one of you. Let's get that straight," Will spat.

"Money and power, that's how you survive in this world, like it or not. I never wanted any part of your little ranger love fest or legacy or whatever you call it. The power is all I need," Will responded. Adam glared up at him.

"You're a disgrace to my color," the black Ninjetti spat. Will only smirked in amusement, but his mirth quickly melted, as they heard Hunter groan and his body twitch with movement. Gorbin also didn't hide his surprise. Tears still poured down her face, as Tori crawled to his side.

"Hunter?" she squeaked, her eyes wide as he sat up, holding his chest in pain.

"Damn…that freaking hurt," he growled, as he opened his eyes and saw Tori's tearstained face. He looked down at the hole in his uniform and the blood soaked material. She touched the skin beneath in amazement, as all that remained was a purpling bruise instead of the hole that had been there just a few moments ago. He noticed his blood on her hands and looked up at her.

"Tor…I'm so sorry for scaring you," he whispered, as she threw herself into his arms, despite their audience.

"So it is true. You can heal yourself from mortal wounds," Gorbin stated, clearly even more intrigued, as Hunter and Tori climbed to their feet.

"You could have killed him!" Tori screamed, as she started to advance on him. But Hunter held her back, not trusting Gorbin not to use his gun again.

"Careful Ms. Hanson, I don't believe you possess the same abilities as your lover and I would hate to be forced to shoot you," Gorbin goaded. Moving more quickly than any of them could see, Hunter drew his saber and leveled it at Gorbin, causing the Silver Guardians to raise their firearms.

"Threaten her life again and it will be the last mistake you ever make," Hunter warned, his hard gaze boring a hole through the evil man before him. His steely gaze shifted to the black Overdrive ranger and he enjoyed making him nervous by slowly bringing his blade toward him.

"I hope you're ready for the war you've declared, because you're on the losing side now. I suggest you train, because the only thing we're going to fight over," Hunter said, indicating the rangers present.

"Is who gets first crack at you," Hunter warned, as he sheathed his blade and raised his morpher to his lips.

"Cam…are we done?" Hunter asked vaguely.

"_Everyone else is clear. I'm just waiting on you guys," _came Cam's reply.

"We're ready," Hunter declared. Three seconds later, the seven of them disappeared in teleportation streaks in their respective colors.

"Find a way into that base. I want it searched with a fine tooth comb," Gorbin ordered, knowing they were long gone, but hoping they left something of use behind. The leaves crunched beneath his boots, as he knelt down, gazing at the crimson liquid that stained the ground.

"Get a forensic team down here to collect this blood sample and then get it to our top scientist. I want to know everything about his DNA," Gorbin ordered. His commander saluted and left to carry out the orders.

* * *

_**Anton Mercer's Hidden Island Base**_

_**The Legacy Compound**_

The last eight rangers appeared with the others on the island, before the massive compound that they had just learned was a joint project between Wes' father and Anton Mercer. Waves crashed on the beach and the smell of salt water filled the air, making Tori already feel at home.

"Welcome to the Legacy compound, the Power Rangers' last line of defense," Anton announced, as the massive doors swung open. None of them could help but gape open mouthed at the sheer size and luxury of the place. No expense had been spared.

"This is of course the atrium and the second floor is all spacious bedrooms and baths, enough for all, including our non-ranger allies and the children, as long as most everyone pairs up," Anton said, as he took Elsa's hand and led them further in.

"Here we have the kitchen, which is fully stocked, and then the living area. There are going to be some hard battles ahead and you'll all need a place to relax and wind down once in a while," Anton continued. The living area was massive, just as the kitchen and dining area were. It was complete with a huge flat screen TV, several plush sofas, recliners, and bean bag chairs.

"The basement has a state of the art dojo, gym, and Ops room with all the best ranger level technology," Anton finished.

"Dad…this place is amazing!" Trent said in awe.

"Yeah…you did this all for us?" Wes asked. Anton nodded.

"Let's just say that this is my way of giving back after the whole Mesagog fiasco. And your father and I know that the power rangers are the only way this planet will survive," Anton said.

"But when you're not in uniform, we will all need a place to go where we don't have to worry about our own people coming after us," Anton added.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say thank you," Tommy said, as they shook hands.

"What about my dad though? I can't leave him to rot in prison," Wes lamented. Jason and Tommy smirked at each other.

"I think Tom and I can help with that," Jason stated. Tommy nodded.

"We'll go in tonight and sneak him out. With our invisibility powers, we can get him out," Tommy said. Wes smiled and shook their hands.

"Thank you, I know you're taking a big risk by doing this," Wes said gratefully. Jason shrugged.

"Rainbow ranger and I can take on whoever they've got to throw at us without even morphing," Jason assured him, as Tommy glared at his best friend.

"Stop calling me that," Tommy said, as the others snickered in amusement.

"You're the one that kept stealing colors. I mean green and white were yours first, but did you have to go steal my color next?" Jason teased.

"Yeah and then mine. When are you going pink?" Adam added, getting more snickers. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"You guys are hilarious," Tommy replied sarcastically.

"So what now?" Conner asked.

"Well, for now we can relax and unwind. I'm sure Ivan won't stay silent for long so we need to relax a little while we can. We'll dive head long into training tomorrow morning," Jason said.

"I know this is a couple months off, but what do we do when Alyssa goes into labor? I don't want those creeps coming anywhere near her and our baby, so a hospital is out," Cole spoke, as he consoled a nervous Alyssa. Trini smiled and approached the couple.

"I'm a surgeon so I believe I'll be able to handle the birthing," Trini said, as she turned to Anton.

"I assume there is a medical wing?" she asked. He nodded.

"It's on the basement level near the Ops room," Anton answered. She nodded.

"All this stress isn't good for the baby. I'm sure everything is fine, but with what's happened in the last few days, a checkup wouldn't hurt," Trini said. Alyssa and Cole nodded in agreement.

"While I'm gone, those of us that can cook should probably try to come up with something that can be called dinner. I'm sure Alpha can help too," Trini suggested. They agreed and soon the kitchen and dining area was bustling with activity, while Trini took Cole and Alyssa down to the medical wing.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Ship**_

_**In Orbit of Earth**_

"FOOLS!" Ivan Ooze cried angrily, as he punished his daughter and top generals. Xinshing himself was not present and currently leading an assault on KO-35, which was decidedly going much better.

"Most of them are children! Barely adults and they defeat some of my supposedly best soldiers!" Ivan roared, as he concentrated his purple lightning on General Xerxes and Kalmec.

"My…Lord, he took…us by surprise!" Xerxes struggled to explain. Ivan ceased his attack, as the General gasped for air.

"I did not expect the show of power he displayed," Xerxes tried to defend himself.

"Of course you didn't, you imbecile! I told you not to underestimate the Phoenix Ninjetti and what did your men do?" Ivan questioned, as he paced before the kneeling soldiers.

"You allowed two of your degenerate idiot soldiers who were thinking with their dicks to make him angry? Their legendary stupidity is the reason he turned them to ashes!" Ooze ranted, as he moved to Kalmec.

"And you…I would expect that you might lose to one of the original rangers, but to that child parading around as the red Dino ranger? Pathetic!" Ooze screamed, as kicked the man away, before moving to his daughter.

"You are not skilled enough to take on the Phoenix ranger and you managed to lose to the Falcon as well," Ooze stated, as his purple lightning caused her more pain.

"The only reason you're still alive is because you happen to be my daughter, but that might not save you forever. DO NOT FAIL ME AGAIN, TOXA!" he screamed, before releasing her from his plasma shock ray.

"W…what are your orders now, My Lord?" Xerxes asked.

"One of my Ecto Morphicon's is nearly complete, but for now you will stand down. The lot of you are eternally lucky that I am very much enjoying watching the humans try to destroy their own," Ivan said, chuckling as he observed the events in the country the rangers called home.

"Their own people have forced the rangers into hiding and that General actually tried to kill the crimson brat. The humans have done more to hurt the rangers than my own army!" Ivan roared.

"Father…if the rangers find out that we have the Galaxy rangers as our captives, we could deal them another devastating blow. We could make them watch us execute them. It would teach them what happens when they cross you," Toxa suggested.

"No…not yet. We will keep them alive for now. I may need a trump card in the future. For now, the lot of you will get out of my sight," he hissed, as they started to leave quickly.

"Toxa…" he called suddenly.

"Yes Father?" she asked, as she stopped.

"Go to Earth and observe those idiots that keep getting defeated by the Overdrive rangers. The betrayal of the other rangers by the black Overdrive ranger will be something very exploitable if we play this right. I want to know the moment they engage in their next battle with Operation Overdrive, because we're going to manipulate it," Ivan instructed.

"Yes Father," she bowed deeply and left for her new mission.

* * *

_**The Hartford Mansion**_

_**San Angeles, CA**_

"You can't come in here! This is private property!" Spencer cried, as General Gorbin and his now renamed GAMA Guardians stormed into the Hartford mansion.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Andrew exclaimed, as the lead Guardian pointed a gun at him and Spencer, causing them both to stop and raise their arms in surrender.

"You are under arrest, Mr. Hartford," Gorbin announced.

"What the hell for and how did you even get in here?" Andrew demanded to know.

"I let them in," Will Aston announced, as he made his presence known and walked in.

"You did what?!" Mack exclaimed, as he and the other Overdrive rangers filed in, having heard the commotion.

"Will…what the hell are you doing?" Ronny demanded. The black ranger scoffed.

"My job. I'm a spy and they've hired me to do a job and they're willing to hire all of you too defend the planet. Think about it. We'll be saving the world and getting paid for it. These guys have technology that's just as good as ranger technology and they're ready to whip out the big guns on Ivan Ooze's operation," Will stated, pausing for a moment.

"The other rangers aren't cooperating so they're in hiding like the cowards they are! Are you going to do the same?" Will asked.

"What if we don't want to work for sector nine?" Rose asked.

"Then like the other rangers, you will be fugitives and either arrested or forced into hiding," Gorbin answered.

"You can't do this. Everything you're doing violates the constitution," Andrew argued.

"Normally you would be correct, Mr. Hartford, but we are at war with alien beings. Sector nine has been given the power to do whatever it takes to protect the public by the President and the Senate. If that means suspending a few freedoms, then that is what must be done," Gorbin reasoned.

"That's a load of crap! The other red rangers were right about you!" Mack exclaimed, but Andrew held him back.

"So what is it going to be guys?" Will asked.

"You're asking us to betray the other rangers," Ronny replied. He shrugged.

"What are they to you? We're just the rookies to them. You really want to be in their shadows forever?" Will asked.

"He's got a point. I'm not living in anyone's shadow," Dax said, with a look of deep concentration on his face.

"We keep our powers?" he asked. Gorbin nodded.

"Of course and you'll be well compensated. Mr. Aston will be your team leader," Gorbin replied.

"But Mack is our red ranger," Rose said.

"That's a ranger tradition. We don't use color to determine the qualifications for leadership," Gorbin snorted.

"Besides, history shows that most reds can be unpredictable and even unstable. Not leadership qualities in my book," Gorbin said, looking sternly at Mack.

"So what's it going to be guys?" Will repeated.

"Do we have much choice?" Ronny asked.

"You do. We told you what they were," Will replied. Dax made his choice and joined Will, leaving the girls in awe. But slowly, both Rose and Ronny joined them, uncertainty written clearly on all their faces. Mack looked completely lost, as his team abandoned him.

"Mack…please, we don't have a choice," Rose pleaded with him. Mack sucked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"We do Rose and this feels wrong. I won't do it," Mack replied, standing his ground. Will rolled his eyes.

"Come on man, your dad's accounts are all frozen now unless he works with us, so where you going to go?" Will challenged.

"I don't know, but I won't work for them," Mack stated firmly.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Hartford. I'm afraid you and your father are under arrest," Gorbin said, motioning to his lead officer, who moved forward to cuff the red ranger. But Mack leapt up and kicked him in the chest, as the other guardians advanced. Mack began to fight them off and Gorbin nodded to a man who entered the mansion. He was wearing a white lab coat, black rimmed glasses, and had thinning dark blonde hair. He looked every part the scientist he was and held a small handheld device. A ray was emitted from the device and slammed into Mack. The red Overdrive ranger cried out in pain, as he suddenly dropped to the floor, unresponsive.

"What have you done?!" Andrew cried.

"We told you, Hartford. We know everything about you…all your dirty little secrets, like your android son, for example," Gorbin stated, as Andrew and Spencer looked at him in disbelief.

"This ray was designed specifically to neutralize him if needed. This is just the base design. We're hoping to strengthen it enough to deal with the Phoenix ranger eventually, but that's for another day. Take them in," Gorbin ordered, as Andrew and Spencer were cuffed and Mack was dragged out of the mansion.

"You guys made the right choice," Will assured the other three rangers.

"That's funny, because it feels like we've betrayed every ranger in existence, most of all Mack!" Rose cried. Will scoffed.

"Get a grip!" Will yelled, causing her to shrink back.

"The kid did the "noble" thing and look at what that's got him. Trust me, Andrew will have his fill of being in a jail cell soon and come to his senses. They'll be back," he assured them.

"Where is Tyzonn? I haven't seen him since this morning," Ronny mentioned. Will smirked.

"Tyzonn is on his way back to his home planet. Ooze's forces are conquering planets all over the galaxy. He decided that he has a responsibility to rejoin his post as a Mercurian Intergalactic Emergency Responder since the calls for help are flooding their headquarters," Will explained.

"But he didn't even say goodbye!" Ronny exclaimed. Will shrugged.

"What does it matter? This is a team and we have a job to do," Will snapped.

"I thought we were all a family," Rose mumbled. But the black Overdrive ranger scoffed.

"Family? That's a joke. If you want family, then go rot in prison with Mack or hide in a hole with the supposed "Legends". Or do your job as a ranger and we'll prove to those "Legends" how it's really done," Will stated arrogantly. Ronny, looking a little lost, numbly followed Will and Dax to the operations room.

"Rose…are you coming?" Ronny called. She wanted to say no. She wanted to run away, but her legs wouldn't move. With Mack's courageous fire gone, Rose felt lost too and so she followed Ronny without a word.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

After dinner, some of the guys had gone down to the dojo for some light training, while most headed outside to the beach. It seemed that this island was somewhere in the southern hemisphere and in the middle of its summer months, leaving more daylight hours for them to enjoy. Tori took full advantage and was riding the waves, while several observed her from shore.

"Tori, that was so cool!" Olivia called, as Tori waded to the shore with her board under her arm, in a light blue bikini top and blue board shorts. She smiled, as Aisha attempted to keep a hold of her.

"Thanks sweetie," Tori replied, as she sat down in the surf.

"Mommy, can I learn to surf?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe when you're a little older, baby," Aisha replied, as she and Tori shared a smile. The blue wind ranger saw little Trina swimming avidly on her own just a few feet away, while Billy observed from the surf, letting the water lap at his bare feet.

"She's a really good swimmer for being so little," Tori mentioned fondly. Billy smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"She loves the water," he mentioned.

"I know you're probably tired of people saying that it's going to be okay and it's going to get better, so I won't say those things," Tori said. He smirked.

"Thanks, that means more actually. Cestria told me not to grieve forever, but I don't think she realized what she was asking of me. How do you get over…" he said, but couldn't finish.

"Losing the love of your life?" Tori asked. He nodded.

"I don't want to sound like a downer, but I don't think you truly get over it. I…I thought for a few minutes that I lost Hunter early today. I didn't think it was possible for something to hurt that much…so I don't know how you're doing it," Tori sympathized. Billy nodded.

"Trina is the only reason I can even get out of bed," Billy admitted, as he stood up and prepared to wade out to get his little girl.

"Whatever you do, don't let him go…even for a second. Ivan Ooze won't stop until he's killed us all, especially Hunter, unless we kill him first. Cherish ever single moment you have with him," Billy advised. Tori nodded and felt her heart clench, as the day's earlier events came crashing back to her. She would take Billy's advice and never let him go, even for a second. If they came after him again, then they would be dealing with Hurricane Tori…


	21. Chapter 20: Wipe Your Eyes

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. . I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 20! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

garnetred: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. As for Will, he *thinks* he has everything under control, but let's just say, that may change after his first real battle with Ooze. That may be an eye opener. ;) As for other OD rangers, they feel backed into a corner right now, especially the girls. The next battle which is coming up in about 3 chapters for now will probably be a game changer.

fallingstar22: Yep, Gorbin is bad to the core. Will is arrogant and too sure of himself, but not evil necessarily. I'm playing around with his character flaws. And your guess about the OD rangers will be seen in a few chapters down the road. As mentioned above, they were backed into a corner and they took the easy way...for now. ;)

Harry2: Yes, OD is seemingly working with sector 9 for now. But they were backed into a corner with the exception of Will. Things may very well change down the road. As for Mystic Force, they will remain in the background. I had trouble getting into Mystic Force and have only seen like two episodes. Rangers from MMPR/Zeo, NS, and DT will remain the focus. Others will have minor roles.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yeah, I haven't forgotten about Malcolm and I still have that plot on the burner. He'll make his presence known in coming chapters. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Yeah, Will is being an ass right now. He may be eating humble pie though somewhere down the road as his path isn't going to lead him anywhere good. But that's for future chapters. ;)

MMPRFansince93: Yeah, the OD team got backed into a corner. Like stated above, they will definitely struggle with this decision. As for Malcolm, he'll pop up again in future chapters. ;)

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 20: Wipe Your Eyes

_Hey you, come over and let me embrace you  
I know that I'm causing you pain too  
But remember if you need to cry  
I'm here to wipe your eyes_

Tonight before you fall asleep  
I run my thumb across your cheek (across your cheek)  
Cry 'cause I'm here to wipe your eyes  
I know I made you feel this way  
You gotta breathe, we'll be okay (be okay)  
Cry 'cause I'm here to wipe your eyes

Please don't lose your faith  
Don't worry 'cause I'm here to keep you safe  
I promise if you let me see your face  
That I won't let you down  
I won't let you down  
I'm here to wipe your eyes

_**Song: Wipe Your Eyes**_

_**Artist: Maroon 5**_

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Training Gym**_

Conner groaned, as he landed on his back for the fifth time. Getting a sparring session with the original bearer of his Dino powers was a true honor for him, but Conner had never been so outmatched, even during one of Dr. O's training sessions. Jason smirked and helped him up.

"Am I really that bad?" Conner asked. Jason chuckled.

"Nah, I'm just that good," he replied. Tommy rolled his eyes, as Hunter blocked his roundhouse kick and aimed a hook punch for his head. He blocked the crimson ranger's punch and moved in for a jab, which the blonde ducked.

"Still has an ego the size of Jupiter too," Tommy mumbled, but Hunter chuckled, hearing his joke.

Eric wore his usual cocky smirk, as he and Shane sparred, resuming the one that had been interrupted a few nights ago.

"You're not bad for a rookie, I'll give you that," Eric said, as he blocked several of Shane's punches. Wes rolled his eyes from the sidelines, as his best friend taunted the red wind ranger. Shane smirked and swept Eric's legs out from under him and gazed down at him.

"Yep and you're not bad for a cop," Shane replied, as he offered his hand to the former Silver Guardian. Eric smirked and accepted his help.

"Not a cop. We were Silver Guardians. That's way better than cops and we had cooler toys. Plus, we answered to Wes' dad and not the stupid government," Eric reminded.

"Speaking of Wes' dad, when are you guys going?" Hunter asked.

"We want to wait until the middle of the night to minimize the upheaval we're going to create," Tommy responded.

"We should call it a night on the training. I think our soccer star has had enough," Jason chuckled, as he helped him up again. Conner groaned, glad that Trent and Ethan weren't here to make fun of him.

"Why are only reds down here training anyway? I thought we weren't starting until morning," Conner grumbled. Tommy smirked.

"Cause we're reds or used to be in my case and some say we're all a little crazy. But we always have to train twice as much as the others, just to make sure we're ready," Tommy said. Jason scoffed in amusement.

"Yeah, cause when I was red and you were white, I was training and you were macking on Kimmie," Jason poked. Tommy gave him a weary glance.

"Don't start with me, Jase," Tommy warned.

"Bro…have you talked to her yet?" he asked.

"Not yet…I mean a little on Phaedos, but we didn't really get to say much, not that it's any business of yours," Tommy replied.

"Dude…do you love her?" Shane asked. Tommy gave him another look.

"Don't call me dude," Tommy warned. Shane smirked.

"Sorry Dr. Touchy, but if you love her and I think your friend Billy will tell you the same, then don't wait. I only knew the love of my life for a few hours and then she was gone," Shane said sadly, silencing them all.

"I barely knew her…yet I felt like I'd known her forever. I didn't believe in soul mates until Skyla fell into my life. She died in my arms and I got a battelizer out of it," Shane continued.

"And believe me, I would have given that damn thing up in heartbeat just to have her instead, consequences be damned. If she's the one, Dr. O, then don't be an idiot and let her get away again. Some of us don't get second chances," Shane finished, the pain in his voice still as raw as it had been the day he lost Skyla and he silently walked off toward the showers.

"He's right you know. I know a bit of what he's talking about too," Wes mentioned.

"Sometimes it sucks being a member of the red club, because some of us got our girls, some of us lost them, and some of us were just plain stupid and squandered a good thing," Eric added his two cents. Tommy sighed.

"I appreciate what you guys are saying, but it's not that simple with Kim and me," Tommy stressed.

"Not to jump on the bandwagon here, but I know Tori was definitely worth the risks I took," Hunter chimed in.

"I used to feel like the world's worst big brother, but she's everything to me and she was worth possibly losing my brother for. I just got lucky that my little bro doesn't hate me, but even if he did, she'd still be worth it," Hunter said, as he headed for the showers too.

"Go find her bro. Stop letting some piece of paper that was written in high school come between you two. Life's too fleeting for that shit," Jason added finally. Tommy sighed, knowing they were all right and he left the dojo, heading upstairs to find a certain pink clad teammate.

* * *

As twilight dawned on the island, everyone slowly began heading back inside. Tori waited though, letting the water of the coming tide splash around her in the surf. She knew he'd come for her, as they had spent many nights on the beach together back in Blue Bay Harbor. The warm breeze tossed her blonde locks about and she was awed by the beautiful sunset on the horizon.

"Waiting for someone?" Hunter asked coyly, as he approached. She smiled up at him, the sound of his deep, tenor voice sending delicious chills down her spine and she wondered idly when it happened that just the sound of his voice could illicit such warm feelings to swell in her heart. He sparked such intense feelings in her that she never thought she would ever experience so deeply.

"It's about time," she teased, as he sat down next to her. She cuddled against him, as he put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder. She relished his warmth, as the evening air had cooled. He was usually warm, but these days, his body temperature was even warmer than usual, almost an alarming warm at times. She had thought at first, before they learned of his true heritage, that he was coming down with something. But the awakening of his other element was the cause and she was enjoying his extra warmth.

"Cold?" he asked in a teasing tone. She smiled.

"Not anymore. I'm so glad I have my very own walking heater," she teased back. He smiled and kissed her hair.

"Are you going tell me what's bothering you? Even though I think I can guess," he said. She turned to face him, her silken blonde blocks wafting in the breeze.

"I don't know why this guy is being allowed to have so much power, but watching him shoot you in cold blood…" Tori said, her sentence trailing off, as he caressed her cheek.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I scared you," Hunter replied. She shook her head.

"It's not your fault. None of us saw that coming. I knew this guy was bad news, but he showed us how much evil he is truly capable of today. I know we have to deal with Ivan Ooze first, but what about this guy? He's going to hurt more innocent people," Tori fretted. He nodded.

"I know. Tommy and Jason were talking about it. They think there's more going on in Washington than we know," Hunter stated.

"Jason said that this Gorbin guy wouldn't have the power to do half of what he is, even in a time of war," he added.

"But…why has no one stopped him then?" she asked. Hunter shrugged.

"We're not sure, but it's probably because he's got others in the government manipulating things. He's not in this alone. That's Tommy and Jason's theory anyway. They think that maybe the President might just be a figurehead now. Gorbin and whoever his cohorts are have been waiting for an opportunity like this and when Ooze attacked, they initiated their own plan. It's all theory, but Tommy and Jason know what they're talking about," Hunter told her. She nodded, still reliving the memory of him lying lifeless and bleeding on the ground. He caught her stare and lifted her chin with his hand.

"I'm fine Tor; it's going to take a lot more than a bullet or an energy blast to take me out now. They'll have to do better than that," he assured her. Her face soured.

"That's what I'm afraid of. They're going to try and kill you constantly, both Gorbin's goons and Ooze's army. I'm scared I'm going to lose you," she admitted. He knew she didn't like to admit that she got scared.

"I know. I can't believe how out of control things have gotten in just a few days and I wish I didn't have to say this, but it might only get worse," Hunter told her.

"But I don't plan on losing. We've got future plans and I'm not going to miss out on spending the rest of my life with the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," Hunter said. Tori smiled shyly, as he pulled her into his arm and she straddled his waist.

"Trying to charm me?" she asked teasingly. He gave her his lazy smirk.

"Of course, is it working?" he asked in a husky tone.

"Guess you're in luck, thunder boy," she replied, as their lips met passionately. He tilted his head, kissing her deeply, as he tangled his fingers in her silky hair. Gathering her in his arms, he lowered her to the sandy beach without parting his lips from hers. He kissed her feverishly, before his lips slowly trailed to her cheek, then down to her jawbone, and finally to the nape of her neck. Tori mewled beneath him, as his lips left fire in their wake. She gasped, as she felt his hand slide sensually up her leg, beneath her shorts and gripped her thigh in a playful squeeze. Tori smiled at the feeling of his hands on her and the sensations he was making her feel.

"Um babe…as much as I want this to happen…and I really, really want this, maybe this isn't the best place," she whispered, as his teeth grazed her collarbone, nibbling on her soft, sweet skin. He smirked and lifted his head, his stormy blue eyes meeting her sapphire ones.

"I don't know, sex on the beach sounds pretty hot," he whispered, his tone husky. She grinned and combed her fingers through his shaggy hair.

"It does…but what if someone comes out?" she asked, even though he was already untying the string on her bikini top.

"No one's coming out here now…it's getting late…" he reasoned. Anticipation swelled in her at the thought of him making love to her beneath the stars, surrounded by her element. The tide was coming in and licked at their feet, but the water did nothing to squelch the fire between them. She smiled and caressed his face.

"Well then, what are you waiting for, thunder boy?" she prompted. He smirked and captured her lips with his own, as the tide rushed around them.

* * *

Kimberly admired the view of the stars from the magnificent gardens that rested behind the massive compound. Now that they had a place where they could be safe between battles, the pink Ninjetti took it upon herself to see that those of them had fallen finally received a funeral service. Trini and Kimberly agreed that the new garden was the perfect place to pay tribute. She had made the announcement at dinner and everyone agreed that they would hold the ceremony tomorrow. The gratitude on the faces of the Lightspeed rangers was enough thanks for Kimberly.

"Hey…" a male voice said. Kimberly knew that voice instantly and turned to find Tommy behind her.

"Hi…" she replied. He noticed the work she had done already, as Anton had given her full reign of the garden. She had piled flowers in vases near a podium where several easels were set up. Trent and Ethan were working on printing tribute photos of their fallen comrades for her.

"What you're doing for the Lightspeed rangers is amazing. We've all been so caught up with everything that they haven't properly grieved for their loved ones," Tommy said. Kimberly nodded.

"I just feel like I need to do something for them. I've been running away from family for way too long," Kimberly said regrettably.

"I know there are some bad memories between us, but don't you think there are so many more good ones?" Tommy asked, as she looked at him.

"I hurt you…that stupid letter was such a mistake…" Kimberly fretted.

"Kim…" Tommy started, but she put her hand up.

"No Tommy…I need to get this out," she pleaded. He closed his mouth and nodded.

"When I first went to Florida, I was really excited at first. Everything was so new and different…but I missed my friends so much. I missed you so much and I started getting really depressed," Kimberly explained.

"I would watch the news for any mention of the Power Rangers just so I could see you guys. But they never said much at all. People made jokes when I told them where I was from. We were just this crazy little town with people that dressed up in colored costumes and fought imaginary monsters. I was so insulted the first time they made fun of us, because I knew how real the danger was," Kimberly continued.

"Soon, my roommate got tired of my moping and made me go out with her one night. I started going out with the other gymnasts a lot and I met Max, one of the new assistant coaches," Kimberly said.

"You fell in love with him," Tommy replied.

"I thought I was in love," she corrected.

"My time with Max was like being in a fog where I was able to forget who I was and where I came from. He had all the right moves and all the right lines. I fell hook, line, and sinker. He convinced me that the "crazy monster town" and everyone in it were my past," Kimberly lamented.

"Kim, we all make mistakes. We may be rangers, but we're still human. I've been a ranger five different times now and I've fought more monsters than I can count, but when you sent that letter, I gave up, just like that. I didn't fight for you even a little. What kind of man does that make me?" Tommy asked.

"No…don't you dare blame yourself. Our breakup was all on me," Kimberly replied.

"Maybe…but we both made mistakes. Why do you keep punishing yourself?" he asked.

"Because I deserve it," she replied. He shook his head.

"That's ridiculous," he scoffed.

"But…" she started, but he put his hand up.

"No, it's my turn," he said sternly.

"Just stop punishing yourself for some silly piece of paper that you wrote over eleven years ago. We were kids and I'm really not interested in living in the past," he said with a sigh.

"Since you, I've had exactly zero relationships that have worked and a few that were completely disastrous. I think fate…or maybe the power is trying to tell me something," Tommy mused.

"Like what?" Kim asked.

"Like there is a reason why I'm still in love with you, that maybe we belong together," Tommy replied. Tears welled in Kimberly's eyes and he put his hand on hers.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I forgive you for that stupid letter?" Tommy asked. Tears fell down her cheeks.

"I don't know…I just don't feel like I deserve forgiveness. I turned my back on everyone I loved because of that damn letter. I threw away what we had like it was trash," she cried.

"We were kids then and now we're adults. Can't we just wipe the slate clean and start over?" he asked.

"You really want that? Aren't you afraid that I might hurt you again?" she countered.

"A little and I'll admit that I wasn't so sure that giving you a second chance was going to be a good idea. I've got really good at ignoring my heart, but a few reds decided to gang up on me tonight and told me to stop being a complete moron. Former red in Jason's case, I guess," Tommy said.

"So Jason's been on your case?" she asked with an eye roll. She had received similar treatment from Trini and Aisha earlier. Tommy chuckled.

"Yeah, but it was actually Shane and Hunter that really drove home the point," Tommy replied. She looked at him questioningly.

"I guess Shane lost someone that he said was his soul mate and he told me that if he had a chance to get her back, then he would trade his powers or whatever else in a heartbeat just to hold her again," Tommy explained.

"I realized that I felt the same about you, but there was still that little voice in my head warning me that I might be taking a big risk with my heart again. Hunter drove home the point that sometimes risks can pay off in the end. The risk he took when he followed his heart with Tori paid off for him, so I figured that it just might pay off for me too," Tommy stated.

"You still love me?" she asked, as she wiped her tears.

"Never stopped," he replied honestly. She sniffed.

"Me either…I love you Tommy," she cried. Those were the only words he needed. He crushed his lips against hers, kissing her for the first time in eleven years.

* * *

_**A hidden Government facility**_

_**Washington D.C.**_

Alan Cranston sighed, as he examined the blood sample he had been instructed to research. The former microbiologist had once lived a mundane life, raising his genius son alone after losing his wife in a car accident, in sunny Angel Grove, California. He always knew Billy would go on to much greater things than he could dream of. But when he learned his son had been a power ranger and then later had gone on to work behind the scenes, creating weapons and zords for them, Alan was taken aback. He was proud, but worried that such a life of danger would forever haunt his son. So when the government had approached him with a job offer to help them secretly work toward preventing more alien invasions, he naturally took the job and was quickly swept into the fascinating world of examining anything not of Earthly origin. Within a few years, he knew of and had identified dozens of species from other worlds and compiled a database of his research. He had done it under the guise that he would be protecting the ranger legacy and therefore his son, as well as his niece, Carly, whom he took in after his brother and his wife were killed in a plane crash six years earlier. Billy's cousin was every bit as smart as he was and was now twenty and attending MIT. Now GAMA had shown its true colors and he was being forced to work against the rangers. Gorbin himself had threatened his niece's life if Alan refused to continue his work.

"Well Cranston, I hope you have something to tell me about that blood sample," Gorbin said, as he entered the lab with his lapdog guards and an African American young man that Alan didn't recognize.

"You couldn't get me anything from the computer they left behind at the Ninja school, so for your pretty niece's sake, you better have something good," Gorbin stated sternly.

"Billy knows how to wipe a system clean and he leaves no traces. As advanced as Cameron Watanabe's system was, it was child's play for Billy," Alan responded.

"Fine, but what about the blood sample we found?" Gorbin questioned.

"I have a partial match to a known DNA signature in my database," Alan stated.

"Only a partial?" Gorbin asked.

"This young man is at least three fourths Eltarian. The other fourth of his DNA is nearly identical to Eltarian DNA, but broken down cell by cell, there is a slight difference," Alan responded.

"Did you match it to anything?" Gorbin demanded to know. Alan shook his head.

"It doesn't match any of the few species I have indexed in my database. But the difference between the Eltarian DNA and the other is so minute that I would have missed it had it not been for the effects the morphing grid's powers have had on him," Alan reported.

"Are you sure Zedd is Eltarian?" Gorbin asked Will. The black Overdrive ranger nodded.

"I told you that recording was worth the extra money you paid me. Zedd and his older brother, the biological father, were Eltarian. His mother's name is Dulcea and she is Zordon's half-sister from a planet called Phaedos. Apparently, according to the story I heard, she's the last of a dead race and a half breed herself," Will informed.

"_Zordon's sister? The Bradley boy is related to Zordon too?"_ Alan wondered silently to himself. His son had always spoken so highly of the man that had changed his life forever and he remembered how distraught Billy had been after Zordon's passing.

"_I've got to do something. I can't keep helping them! If I could only find a way to get Carly to Billy and the rangers somehow, then they could do what they want to me," _Alan thought silently.

"Yo Doc!" Will called, snapping Alan from his thoughts.

"What else can you tell me?" Gorbin asked.

"It took me hours to decode what I have so far. I need more time to run tests on the sample, but I don't know what you're looking for," Alan replied. Gorbin smirked.

"I shot the brat and then watched the wound heal right before my eyes. I want to know everything about that blood sample in two days," Gorbin demanded, as he and his goons left quickly. Alan sighed, as he sat down at his desk. He gazed at the pictures on his desk and smiled at the one Billy had sent him of him with his family. His little Trina…he wanted so badly to meet her, but he knew that it might not happen. He then glanced at the photo of Carly and felt tears well in his eyes. She looked so much like her mother and his late wife, as the two had been sisters. The thought of Gorbin sending his men after her made him sick to his stomach. She was so talented and nearly as gifted as Billy. She could help the rangers and they could protect her. He just had to find a way to draw her cousin's attention to her. Suddenly coming up with an idea, he quickly went back to work.

* * *

_**Prison holding cell**_

_**GAMA Guardians HQ, Silver Hills, CA**_

Andrew Hartford sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face in worry. He wished this whole thing was a nightmare, but looking at his son who had been laying still as board for the last few hours, he knew it was real.

"He will be fine, Sir," Spencer tried to assure him.

"I wish I could believe you, Spencer, but there's no way to revive him from here. I need certain equipment for that. And even if I did, he's going to hate me," Andrew fretted. How did you tell your son, who believed he was every bit human as anyone else, that he was actually an android? It wasn't a conversation that Andrew wanted to have, at least not with these kinds of circumstances.

"If Wes could forgive me for some of the deplorable things I did before I became, shall we say, enlightened, then Mack will forgive you," Aaron Collins assured.

"I wish I was as optimistic as you, but thanks to me, they have four rangers with powers I gave them working for them now and we're going to rot in prison," Andrew responded. Mr. Collins smiled like he knew something that Andrew didn't.

"Things may not be as dire as they seem, Mr. Hartford," Collins replied, simply, as they saw the night guard walk by. There was a sudden, peculiar thumping noise and then the slight rattle of what sounded like keys. Andrew's eyes widened, as Tommy Oliver seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Are we clear?" he whispered, as Jason too appeared.

"I think so. Adam is keeping watch," Jason whispered back.

"How did you guys get in here?" Andrew asked in amazement.

"It pays to be invisible," Tommy replied, with a smirk.

"Camo helps too," Adam said, as his camouflage of gray colored walls faded away.

"What happened to Mack?" the Frog Ninjetti asked.

"It's a long story," Andrew replied, with a sigh.

"I got the rookie," Jason said, grunting as he lifted Mack over his shoulder.

"Damn…what do you feed this kid?" he asked, straining a little under the boy's weight.

"Where are the rest of the Overdrive rangers?" Adam asked. Andrew looked down sadly.

"Will convinced them that working with him and GAMA wouldn't be so bad. Mack is the only one that stood up to Gorbin and they did this to him," Andrew explained. Tommy patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we're getting out of here, trust us," Tommy said, as he raised his comm to his lips.

"Tell me you've got a lock, Cam. We're probably going to have company in a minute," Tommy said into the device.

"_I've got you…prepare to teleport in three," _Cam replied. True again to his word, those in the cell disappeared in streaks of light…


	22. Chapter 21: Tearing Away

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 21! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Here's the next chapter! :)

Harry2: Yep, Tommy and Kim are together again. As for Dr. C, we shall find out in coming chapters. ;)

badgal21: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep, they've rescued Mack and the others. Billy's family is next coming in a few chapters. And sorry to disappoint you, but no, I did not get the name Carly from your story. This chapter has been written for a couple months actually and long before I read yours. Carly is becoming a fairly common name and just fit with Cranston well. We'll meet her in coming chapters and she is my own original character. Glad you're enjoying the story.

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. I didn't watch OO, except the Once a Ranger episodes, but from what I read, Mack found out he was an android later after the Once a Ranger team up. However, this story is completely AU after the events that took place during Once A Ranger, therefore, the rest of the OO season is nullified in this story. Hope that makes sense. :)

fallingstar22: Yeah, it was an emotional scene there with Shane, but I needed something like that to kick Tommy's butt and get him to stop avoiding his talk with Kim and it worked! T/K is back. And yes, Dr. C has got himself into a pickle. There will be more on that in coming chapters. ;)

White-Falcon-06: Wow, thanks, it's very nice and humbling to hear that. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. :)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yep, they've been rescued, but as for Andrew and Mack being able to relax...I'm afraid not quite with what happens in this chapter. Enjoy. :)

MMPRFansince93: Yes, Dr. C works for the governement, but this was before they showed their true colors. He used to think he was doing good, but now he realizes the pickle he's in. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 21: Tearing Away

_I'm tearing away, from all the pain_

_From all the things that make me feel that I can't dream_

_I'm tearing away, from all the pain_

_From all the things that make me feel that I can't…_

_Here's my chance to think up_

_All the things I wanna say_

_All the things that make me feel that I'm afraid_

_The clock is turning backwards_

_As my mind has gone astray_

_And the world before me simply peels away_

_**Song: Tearing Away**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**T**__**he Legacy Compound**_

_**Med Bay**_

Billy examined Mack, as the young, immobile red ranger lay on the medical table. Jason and Tommy had gone onto bed, but Adam elected to stay. He had grown fond of Mack during the time he and the others had taken over to fight Thrax. Spencer also refused to leave until Mack woke up.

"Thanks for doing this now. I know it's almost three in the morning," Andrew said nervously. Billy smiled.

"I'm a father myself. Believe me, I get it," the blue ranger replied.

"And I've got to say, I've seen a lot of sophisticated androids before, but I never would have even guessed that Mack was one," Billy added. Andrew sighed.

"That's because he doesn't know. He thinks he is human like everyone else and he's going to hate me when he finds out," Andrew fretted. Adam patted him on the shoulder.

"He won't hate you. He's a good kid and he had the courage to face his own team's betrayal, so he has the courage for just about anything," Adam assured him.

"I hope you're right. I made such huge mistakes with my team," Andrew said.

"All teams have had their problems. Yours is no different and they're not evil…not even Will. He's selfish and greedy maybe and I think the others are just scared right now. Trust me, sector nine will show them their true colors very soon and they'll be ready to rethink their decision," Billy stated.

"Billy's right and we'll welcome them back when they do," Adam assured.

"Even Will if he decides he wants to rejoin us?" Andrew asked. Billy and Adam exchanged glances.

"It will be more difficult to bring Will back and be able to trust him. A lot of us know what it's like to be under the influence of an evil spell or have our grief used to brainwash us, like the Bradley brothers, but Will acted on his own with this one," Adam said.

"If he asks for forgiveness, most of us will accept that, but as far as letting him back in, that's a different story," Billy added.

"Hunter would be dead right now thanks to Will's betrayal if not for his healing powers, so he'll be lucky if Tori or Blake ever speak to him again, let alone refrain from ripping him apart so I wouldn't count on that rift being mended even if he does come to his senses," Adam mentioned. Andrew nodded sadly.

"We don't mean to be harsh, but we're just warning you of things that could be ahead," Billy said. Andrew nodded gratefully.

"I just hope those four can handle it if Flurious or Moltor attacks," Andrew said with a sigh.

"If they can't, we'll still step in if it means protecting a city. With the twenty of us, we should be able to put an end to that whole operation and at least have one less big bad to worry about," Adam assured him.

"Yeah, but if Ooze decides those two are interfering with his own operation, he may do us a favor and take them out for us. He put Rita and Zedd out of commission years ago, because they interfered," Billy reminded.

"Chances are we won't get that lucky again twice," Adam quipped, earning a small smile from Billy, as he made his final adjustments to Mack's wiring. The young red ranger's eyes snapped open and he looked around in confusion, as he started to sit up.

"Easy son…" Andrew urged.

"What happened?" Mack asked.

"You got hit with some kind of electrode attack and it knocked you out," Billy provided.

"Oh…where are we?" Mack asked.

"The new ranger base. Your dad can explain it more to you. We'll give you two a little time," Adam replied, as he patted the young man on the shoulder.

"There are vacant rooms on the upper floors for the three of you. The girls put your names on them so you'll know which ones they are and there should be enough light in the halls to see them when you're ready," Billy added.

"Thank you both," Andrew said gratefully, as the two left.

"Sir, would you like me to leave?" Spencer asked.

"If you don't mind. We'll be up in a few minutes," Andrew replied. Spencer nodded and walked out.

"Dad…what's going on?" Mack asked.

"There's something that I have to tell you Mack and you're not going to be happy with me," Andrew said.

"Dad…what could be worse than being abandoned by own team?" Mack asked. Andrew sighed.

"Some red ranger I am," he mumbled.

"You're a great red ranger Mack…that's why you had the courage to stand up for what you believe in and I think the others will seriously regret letting Will scare them into working for sector nine. They'll come back to you, I'm almost sure of it," Andrew stated.

"What did you need tell me?" Mack asked. Andrew took a deep breath.

"Mack, I love you and you're my son in every sense of the word. I always wanted children, but I never seemed to be able to find the right woman. I feared running out of time so I decided to go the parenting thing alone," Andrew started.

"Dad…are you trying to tell me that I'm adopted?" Mack asked. Andrew shook his head.

"No son…I made you, but not in the traditional sense. I wanted a son and so I built one," Andrew clarified. Mack's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"You're an android," Andrew confessed. Mack gasped and stared at the man before him, eyes wide in disbelief.

"But I love you and I never told you, because I just wanted you to have a normal life," Andrew quickly added.

"I'm…a machine?" he asked.

"In a sense…yes, but you are just as human as anyone else," Andrew tried to assure him. Mack scoffed.

"How do you figure that?" Mack asked.

"You emotions and your personality make you human. Love makes you human and I know that you have the capacity to love deeply, more so than others have," Andrew explained.

"Why didn't you tell me? Mack asked.

"Like I said, I just wanted you to live a normal, happy life. Things obviously got way more complicated than I anticipated," Andrew stated. Mack nodded.

"So that's why Billy had to fix me instead of Dr. Scott," Mack concluded, referring to Trini. Andrew nodded.

"I need some air," Mack announced, as he hopped off the table.

"Mack…please…" Andrew pleaded.

"No Dad…I need some time to myself. He nodded.

"There's a garden out back or the beach if you go through the front door. We're on an island that you can only teleport to. When you're ready to come back in, you'll just need to allow the security sensor scan your retinas to gain access back inside," Andrew informed him. Mack nodded and fled the room, seeking some sort of solace or understanding. Andrew sighed and started up the stairs to his room, though he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep.

* * *

_**Residence level**_

Tori moaned sleepily, as sunlight began to peak through the blinds. It was still very early, but they were getting up to begin training soon. She snuggled deeper into Hunter's arms and inhaled his scent, which was an enticing musk. Memories of last night were fresh in her mind. Their lovemaking in the surf on the beach had been mind-blowing and their seemingly insatiable hunger and passion for each other had continued in their bedroom. They were still thoroughly entangled beneath the messy mass of bedclothes and she brushed his unruly bangs away from his eyes, placing a kiss on his forehead. She smiled, as his silvery blue eyes fluttered open.

"Morning handsome," she cooed. He smirked and turned on his side to face her.

"Morning yourself beautiful," he replied in a sleepy voice.

"Are you going to Phaedos to train later?" she asked. He nodded.

"Billy and Hayley came up with a way to cloak my teleportation signature once I leave the Earth's atmosphere. Then I can be teleported back right away if there's trouble," he explained. She nodded.

"I guess we all have a little training to do," she mentioned. He nodded and kissed her forehead.

"I'm going to take you with me soon though. I want you both to know each other," he said, referring to his mother. She nodded and smiled.

"I want that too and when you go to visit Ninjor to ask him how to free her, I want to go with you," she requested. He smirked.

"You want to go a place called the Desert of Despair?" he asked in amusement, though he wasn't surprised by her request.

"I'm not your typical girl," she replied teasingly.

"No, you're better," he agreed, as he kissed her hair. She smiled and snuggled against him.

"So…can I come?" she pressed. He rolled his eyes.

"Could I stop you if I even tried?" he answered. She grinned and kissed him tenderly, before getting out of bed. She fished for something to wear from the floor, choosing his crimson button down shirt that had been discarded last night. She wrapped it around her unclothed body, the large shirt sufficing to cover her to her thighs, as she opened the patio door stepped out onto the balcony to breathe in the fresh sea scented morning air. She noticed him staring at her and smiled coyly at him.

"You're staring again, handsome. Am I really that interesting?" she teased.

"You have no idea," he drawled.

"I keep wondering why you look way better in my clothes than I ever do," he added. She smirked, as she had put his shirt on purposely, knowing that he was always turned on by the sight of her in in one of his shirts.

"Come to think though, you look good in anything," he said, as he slipped his boxers on and joined her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Especially nothing," he mumbled huskily, as he kissed her neck. His actions rewarded him with a soft humming sound from her throat, as his hands slid around her waist. She turned in his arms, as their lips met in a passionate kiss. She slid her hands sensually over his bare, muscular chest. His hands slid down from her hips to her thighs, which he gripped and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. She hooked her legs around his waist, as their lips met passionately and he stumbled back inside the bedroom.

* * *

_**Kitchen**_

Kimberly finished her run on the beach, panting heavily, and headed back inside the compound. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. It was still really early and seeing as no one had made coffee yet, she began to set up the economy sized makers and then turned them on, just as Tommy walked in.

"Should have known you'd be up at this ungodly hour," he quipped, shooting her a half smile, which she returned.

"Nothing has changed there, but since when do you get up this early?" she asked.

"I had to learn to embrace mornings when I became a teacher," he replied.

"Coffee?" she asked. He nodded. She went about searching through the cupboards until she found one that kept the mugs. Tommy reached up and helped her, being that someone had decided to place them on the second shelf.

"Don't even start with the short jokes," she warned, seeing his cheesy smirk. He chuckled and they noticed that their faces were only inches apart. Spurred on by their meeting last night, he leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Just as it would have become more heated, the moment was interrupted, as Conner walked in.

"Whoa…uh…sorry, I'll go," Conner stammered awkwardly. Their lips parted and Tommy shook his head.

"Relax Conner, you don't have to go," Tommy replied to his former student, as the red Dino ranger proceeded to go to the fridge. He grabbed a sports drink for himself and was pleasantly surprised to see that someone has stocked apple juice for Kira as well.

"So you're Conner," Kimberly stated. He nodded.

"And you're Kimberly," Conner replied.

"So tell me, what is it like to take Dr. Oliver's science class?" Kimberly asked in a teasing tone, as she watched Tommy roll his eyes. Conner grinned.

"Total snore fest," Conner replied.

"Hey!" Tommy called, offended, as the two chuckled.

"Kidding Dr. O, you were way cooler than most teachers," Conner assured.

"Thanks, I think. But I haven't been your teacher for three years. You can call me Tommy now, you know," the Falcon ranger replied.

"Okay Tommy…whoa, that's weird. I think I'll stick with Dr. O," Conner replied, with a chuckle. Tommy rolled his eyes, as Kimberly giggled.

"Don't be late for training later," Tommy called, as Conner left with his sports drink and apple juice for Kira. Kimberly started taking things out of the fridge to get breakfast going.

"Need any help?" Tommy asked.

"Do you still cook the way you did back in high school?" she asked. Tommy made a face and nodded.

"Pretty much," he replied. She smirked.

"I'm sure the others will be in to help soon," Kimberly said. She was right of course and soon the kitchen was buzzing with activity.

* * *

_**The Gardens**_

Carter swallowed the lump in his throat, as everyone gathered in the garden to pay tribute to the members of their ranger family that had been lost. Behind him on display were poster sized photos of Chad, Joel, Angela, Captain Mitchell, Prince Trey, the Phantom ranger, and an Aquitian woman that Carter knew to be Cestria, Billy's late wife, as well as the five Aquitian rangers. He felt Dana squeeze his hand and then kiss his cheek.

"I don't know if I can do this," he said, choking on the words.

"I'll stand with you. We'll do it together," she whispered, as they stepped to the podium.

"This is really hard, so bear with me," Carter stated.

"I'm not really sure what to say other than I wish none of this had happened. I wish I could bring them all back. I'm a red and it was my job to protect them. But I failed…" Carter said, as he broke down. Dana took him in her arms and hugged him tightly, whispering comforting things to him.

"You didn't fail Carter. None of us could have predicted this or saved everyone," Tommy said, as he stepped up.

"But we will avenge them…every single life that was taken will have justice in the end," Tommy continued.

"My father was very dedicated to his work, but he was even more dedicated to family. That's why we all have to stay together and love each other, just like Zordon said. It's what he would have wanted…what they all would want," Dana stated. Kimberly nodded, as she stood up.

"And we will. We aren't separate teams any more. This is one team, regardless of whether we're out on the battlefield or behind the scenes with the technical aspects, treating injuries, or even trying to feed this brood," Kimberly said, earning chuckles.

"Kim's right. We've got some rough times ahead, but we'll get through it together and make them all proud," Tommy added, referring to the deceased, as he took Kimberly's hand in his own.

"About damn time," Jason mumbled, seeing that things were finally mending between the "original power couple". Trini shared a smile with her husband, as they ended the ceremony. They would have liked to spend more time, but at the moment, with everything going on, training simply had to take priority.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops, bottom level of the Legacy compound**_

Tori hugged Hunter, as he prepared to teleport to Phaedos for the day.

"I'll see you tonight. Train hard," she said. He smiled and nodded.

"I just hope Ooze doesn't decide to launch another attack if he sees me leave," Hunter replied.

"If I haven't lost my edge, then he won't see you leave at all," Billy said, as he approached with a small chip.

"What's that?" Hunter asked.

"It's the cloaking chip I mentioned yesterday. If it works, then it will cloak your teleportation sequence. I'm hoping it does so I can make more for everyone. Just attach it to your morpher," Billy instructed, as Hunter did as he asked.

"Let's hope it works then," Hunter replied. Billy nodded, as he walked back to the console. Tori kissed him, before he stepped back and Billy initiated the teleportation sequence. Billy monitored the crimson ranger and watched as the cloak activated as soon as he left the island.

"Did it work?" Tori asked her fellow blue. He nodded.

"Seems like it. If he can truly get by Ivan's sensors, then we may have just found a huge advantage," Billy stated.

"Great job as usual, Bill," Tommy complimented.

"I'll get to work on more right away," Hayley stated.

"Yeah, guess we should get to training too," Blake suggested. Jason nodded.

"Everyone else is already at it, so let's get to it," the gold Dino ranger said, as the few that were not already training, followed him.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Hunter arrived at his mother's Temple on Phaedos with Zedd in tow. Dulcea wasted no time in hugging him tightly, surprising him a little, but he slowly put his arms around her too, finding himself relishing her presence. He would always think of Elizabeth Bradley as his mother, but he already felt a connection to Dulcea that had been almost instantaneous.

"I heard your voice during the battle the other night…how is that possible?" Hunter asked. She smiled.

"Eltarians and Phaedosans for that matter are natural telepaths. Once your Ninjetti powers were awakened, so were your telepathic abilities," Duclea explained. Hunter still looked confused.

"Humans and Eltarians are not so different in physiology. In fact, they, like Phaedosans, are simply like our cousin races. Humans are just a far younger race than Eltarians, but even they have the abilities for telepathy if they were to learn to make full use of the brains. Over the centuries, Eltarians learned and humans will too eventually," Zedd explained.

"Ranger powers usually heighten the senses of the bearer, which is why you picked up telepathy so naturally when your powers were awakened," Dulcea continued. Hunter nodded.

"Your other Uncle left you a complete history of our people and your mother's people, so you'll learn much from that. For now, it's time to get right to training," Zedd added. Hunter nodded and stood up, but was confused when his uncle sat down in a meditative position.

"I thought you said you were going to teach me to sword fight? I mean, I do okay, but I've never been properly trained with one. I got lucky the other night," Hunter admitted, referring to his battle with the Duronians. Zedd nodded.

"Very true, but focus and oneness with your Ninjetti spirit is required to appropriately wield the Phoenix saber and you can only get that from meditation," Zedd responded, as Dulcea sat down with him. Hunter groaned.

"Meditation is my least favorite thing to do," he grumbled. Zedd chuckled.

"Your father hated it too, always Mr. Action, running headlong into danger, but I think you'll be wishing you were only meditating when you start your physical training later," Zedd stated. Hunter sighed and listened to his mother's instructions, as he began his hard meditation.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's space cruiser**_

_**In orbit of Earth**_

"What is the meaning of this?!" Flurious hissed, as Toxa and Xerxes shoved him, Moltar, Kamdor and Miratrix forward into Ivan's Throne room.

"Stop pushing me!" Miratrix demanded.

"Kneel fools," Toxa ordered.

"I kneel to no one, little girl," Moltor hissed.

"Except me fool," Flurious chimed in.

"You'll all kneel to your new Master or be destroyed," Xerxes demanded.

"Do you have any idea who I am, you green faced freak?" Flurious questioned. Xerxes smirked and effortlessly lifted Flurious off the floor, holding him by the neck, as he flailed and struggled to breathe.

"Oh, I know exactly who you are and I could crush your windpipe with a very small amount of effort, ice breath. You're a peon compared to my Master and it's time you answer to the man that's really running the show around here," Xerxes spat, as he tossed Flurious to the floor and the cold blooded being gasped for air.

"Thank you General Xerxes and welcome to our guests," Ivan stated, his purple robes swirling, as he strode toward the four, as Flurious got to his feet.

"Who the hell are you?" Kamdor asked.

"You really haven't been paying attention, have you?" Ivan drawled, as a small jolt of purple electricity exited his fingers. It struck his four visitors in their knees, causing them all to fall into kneeling position.

"Better," he mused.

"What is the meaning of all this?! I demand to know why we've been brought to this place." Flurious demanded. Ivan rolled his eyes and zapped Flurious again. This time, a glob of hardened purple slime hit him in the face and sealed his mouth shut. Moltor and Miratrix couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"It's about time someone shut you up," Moltor goaded.

"Quiet swine," Toxa hissed, hitting him with her staff.

"Little bitch…" Moltor hissed. This earned him a kicked to his head, causing him to fall forward in pain. Toxa used her foot to flip him on his back, before she put the end of her glaive to his throat.

"Please father, allow me to gut this worthless fool. We don't need these nuisances," Toxa growled.

"Easy my daughter…save your rage for the rangers," Ivan ordered. The purple skinned woman pulled the blade of her weapon from his throat and allowed him to climb to his feet.

"If you dimwits haven't figured it out yet, I am Ivan Ooze and you have two choices," Ivan stated, as he faced them.

"You work for me or I kill you where you stand. It really makes no difference to me. After all, the three of you are weaker than the weakest member of my army and for your failure to handle even a few pathetic rookie rangers like Operation Overdrive should mean your automatic demise," Ivan stated.

"Then why are we still alive?" Flurious prompted.

"I've decided that you may be of minimal use to me. You're going to drum up one of your pathetic attacks or pitifully weak monsters to launch an attack on the Overdrive rangers as usual," Ivan stated.

"And how does that help you?" Miratrix asked.

"I will add my own soldiers to the battle and overwhelm the Overdrive rangers. Naturally, this will draw out the others that I'm really interested in and then we'll see if my little experiment works," Ivan continued.

"What experiment?" Flurious asked. Ivan rolled his eyes.

"You know, if you're going to try and conquer a planet, you should really pay more attention to the ones you're trying to destroy. Will Aston's betrayal has pitted the Overdrive rangers against the Ninjetti and Dino rangers. And when rangers fight each other, no one wins…except me," Ivan mused.

"Is this some game to you?" Kamdor demanded. Ivan chuckled.

"I do enjoy playing games and rangers are fun to torture. And people usually die when I play games, so yes, I would say so," Ivan joked. Kamdor snorted in disgust.

"I don't have time for your silly games, slime ball and I don't need you to destroy the power rangers," Kamdor refuted, as he prepared to fight his way out of the Throne room.

"Then you are refusing my offer?" Ivan questioned.

"Yeah, I'll be going now. I have a crown and jewels to find. Take your little circus freak show elsewhere, Ooze breath, cause I'm not interested in your cause," Kamdor spat. Ivan frowned.

"That's unfortunate," Ivan said. Kamdor huffed.

"So sorry, hope you don't cry about it," he teased.

"I meant that it was unfortunate for you!" Ivan roared, as purple lightning struck Kamdor and the other three watched in amazed horror, as Kamdor exploded, his ashes floating to the floor.

"Would anyone else like to refuse my offer?" Ivan asked. The three remaining questers for the Corona Aurora were dead silent.

"Perfect. Welcome to my army," Ivan stated evilly, his glowing purple eyes sending ripples of fear down the spines of his newest subordinates.


	23. Chapter 22: Decode

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 22! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Sorry for the delay. After Christmas is over, I should be back to more regular updates. Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you like it. Enjoy this next installment.

fallingstar22: Yep, compared to Ooze, the other evils are kind of peons. Glad you're enjoying it and there's more Hunter learning to use his powers in the chapter. Enjoy. :)

MMPRFansince93: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it.

RHatch89: Thanks, enjoy this chapter

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it.

Harry2: You'll find out what Zedd means by Hunter wishing he was meditating instead of physical training. Enjoy. ;)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep, Ivan is up to no good and just think, he hasn't even actually confronted the rangers personally yet. And I know you were joking about the Carly comment, it's all good. :)

Skull RiderSP: Yep, you may be right. Enjoy this chapter. :)

Guest: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

XoxMountainGirlxoX: Thanks, glad you like the story. Yeah, I guess the Ninja Storm rangers are kind of like Air Benders, I actually never thought of that. As for Tori, I don't like to reveal much about the plot, mostly because it's not written yet so not even I know exactly what's going to happen. ;)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 22: Decode

_How did we get here?  
Well I used to know you so well, yeah  
How did we get here?  
Well I think I know_

Do you see what we've done?  
We've gone and made such fools of ourselves  
Do you see what we've done?  
We've gone and made such fools of ourselves

_**Song: Decode**_

_**Artist: Paramore**_

* * *

_**P**__**haedos**_

_**Neola Jungle**_

Hunter panted heavily, as he ran through the Neola jungle as a part of his grueling training exercises. His uncle was following him with his Ninja streak, but Hunter had been strictly instructed that he was not to use Ninja streak and his own speed and agility. He could feel his Ninjetti spirit roaring inside him, something he was starting to get used to and with ease, he leapt clean over a large boulder that obstructed his way. Seeing more rocky outcroppings in his path, he jumped with ease, latching onto a tree branch, before sailing to another tree. He crisscrossed between tree trunks, before his feet hit the ground running again. Finally, he came to a clearing and heard his uncle signal him to stop. He bent over, hands on knees, and took in hungry breaths of air.

"You're fast, that will help you in your next training exercise," Zedd stated, as he sat on a tree branch above his nephew.

"Ugh, you're worse than Sensei Omino. At least he gave me a fifteen minute break once in a while," Hunter muttered. Zedd chuckled.

"Your speed will only get you so far. The Durionians give new definition to super strength, which is why it's fortunate that you have the potential to lift objects that are one hundred times your own body weight," Zedd replied.

"The potential?" Hunter questioned.

"Even Phoenix hatchlings have to work their way up to that," Zedd responded.

"Did you just call me a baby?" Hunter asked. Zedd chuckled.

"I am seven thousand some years old, after all. To me, and in the grand scheme of things, you are a baby," Zedd replied. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Your opponents should be along shortly," Zedd stated, as he bit into a piece of exotic looking fruit.

"Opponents?" Hunter asked, as he suddenly heard an animalistic roar. He turned and his eyes widened in disbelief, as a skeletal Triceratops stalked toward him.

What…the hell?" Hunter wondered in disbelief. He heard another roar and looked the other way, only to find a skeletal Stegosaurus coming at him for the other direction.

"Are these the opponents you were talking about?" Hunter asked.

"Yep, from the bone graveyard. You know, before Vile destroyed this planet, the Phaedosans and these species of Dinosaurs actually coexisted. They used to ride them even. Their herbivores you know," Zedd mentioned.

"Oh really? That's funny, because I think they're going to try to eat me!" Hunter cried, as he ducked the Triceratops' swinging tail.

"Oh no, they're not trying to eat you. They just want to stomp you for trespassing on their land," Zedd mused, as he munched on his fruit.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're kind of sadistic…whoa!" Hunter cried, as he ducked away from the ramming Stegosaurs, causing it to hit a tree. Zedd chuckled.

"Many times actually," Zedd replied.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with these things?" Hunter called. Zedd rolled his eyes.

"Your speed and agility will help against them, but brute strength will win this battle. Use yours," Zedd instructed. Hunter ran between the creatures and yanked a rib bone from the Triceratops. It roared in annoyance more than pain and its jaws snapped toward the crimson ranger. He smacked the beast in the face with the bone and it broke. The Triceratops bucked him with his horned nose and he flew back into a tree. Hunter growled and climbed to his feet, getting angry now. He welcomed the roaring in his ears and felt the fire in his limbs. The Stegosaurs screeched, as Hunter grabbed its tail and lifted it off the ground. Twirling it around effortlessly, he slammed it into the Triceratops and the creatures exploded into a pile of twisted bones. Zedd smirked and jumped down.

"Nice…that will do for today," he said, as he tossed his nephew a piece of the pink fruit he was enjoying.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Purju fruit, it tastes similar to an apple, except it fills you up like something with a lot of protein would. Great for training," Zedd responded. Hunter took a bite and found it delicious, as he followed his uncle back to his mother's temple.

* * *

_**KO-35**_

The red space ranger fell to his knees in pain and exhaustion, his armor fading around him.

"Andros!" a Kerovian female called.

"Mother…where is Ashley?" he asked.

"Her arm is broken, but she'll be fine," she replied, as she noticed three morphers in his hand.

"Where are the other rangers?" she asked. She was referring to the three Kerovians that had been chosen to wield the space morphers after T.J., Cassie, and Carlos had relinquished them for good three years ago.

"Dead," Andros stated, grief thick in his voice, as he approached his wife.

"Andros…" she cried, as tears slipped down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead.

"I was so afraid…you wouldn't come back," she cried.

"I'm here Ash…" he assured her, as Karone squeezed her hand.

"What are we going to do? KO-35 will fall," Zhane stated gravely, as he put his arm around his fiancé's waist. Andros shook his head, having absolutely no idea what could be done.

"The Earth rangers are the only hope now," an elderly woman stated. She was one of KO-35's wisest sages.

"Most of the Earth rangers don't have their powers any longer, elder Kerr," Andros address respectfully.

"That changed just a few days ago, if my visions are certain," she responded.

"What do you mean?" Zhane asked.

"The scroll of Fire predicts that the Phoenix and nineteen other warriors will rise in our darkest hour and my visions show that the spirits of the Ninjetti have been awakened and the spirits of the giant lizards with them," the elder spoke.

"There hasn't been a Phoenix Ninjetti in six thousand years, elder Kerr. Are you sure?" Karone asked.

"I thought all that stuff was just legends," Zhane scoffed.

"Legends are just ancient history, young Zhane. But the son of Zander, the Phoenix Ninjetti and Dulcea, Princess and Master warrior of Phaedos lives. For centuries, the child remained unchanged with his mother in her cursed temple, but when the time was right, Zordon saw that his nephew was sent to Earth. He foresaw a great siege of evil would befall the Earth and knew his nephew would be needed to lead the fight," Kerr told them.

"That's great, but how does that help us?" Zhane questioned.

"We will be safe in the catacombs for now. You four must find a way to get to Earth and join the fight. The morphers must be returned to their Earth bearers," Kerr stated.

"Even if we could get past Ivan Ooze's ship and get to the Earth, we're not leaving our people at the mercy of Ooze's army," Andros refuted.

"Elder Kerr is right. We will be all right. They will kill rangers on the spot and you are of no use dead," Andros' mother stated.

"Your mother is right. The catacombs will protect everyone and we need a full ranger team to even go up against these guys," Zhane said.

"They just slaughtered three rangers! What are three more?" Andros roared.

"They were inexperienced and we all know that we need not only Carlos, T.J., and Cassie, but experienced rangers like the original twelve," Ashley reasoned.

"And if the Phoenix Ninjetti has been awakened, then he is the only hope for all of us," Karone stated. Andros sighed.

"I think you're putting a little too much stalk in that ancient scroll," Andros said.

"Not if he really is Zordon's nephew," Karone replied. Andros couldn't disagree with this.

"Fine, but we might not even make it. They'll be on the Megaship as soon as we leave," Andros said.

"We have to take that chance. We have to at least get somewhere to contact Tommy," Zhane responded.

"Have them ready the Megaship and then make sure everyone goes into hiding," Andros told his mother.

* * *

_**Stone Canyon**_

_**Military Base**_

Theodore Jarvis Johnson, better known to most as T.J. rattled the prison bars with all his might.

"Where is my wife, you son of bitch?!" he screamed.

"Your wife is in the women's cellblock, Mr. Johnson and unless you'd like my men to taser you again, then I suggest you shut the hell up," Gorbin spat.

"Cassie and I aren't rangers anymore and we haven't done anything wrong. You can't just lock us up like this!" T.J. hissed.

"Oh, but I can for your refusal to cooperate. Even without ranger powers, I need experienced soldiers in my ranks and your refusal to work for me allows me to detain you both, as well as your friends," Gorbin explained. T.J. smirked.

"Work for you huh? Against Tommy and the others? Thanks, but I don't join losing teams," T.J. spat, as Gorbin walked away with an uncaring air. T.J. sighed and sat down with the other three males in his cell.

"Wish there was a way to get a message to Tommy. He'd come for us, I know he would," Justin, now twenty-one years old, said. Carlos smiled at his younger brown haired friend.

"We'll think of something Justin," Carols promised.

"Yeah, Tommy and Jason will notice if they don't hear from me. I told them I wasn't interested in rangering up again, but that I would keep in touch. They'll start looking for us once they realize that we've all dropped off the grid," Zack stated.

"They've got their hands full though. We might be in here for a while," T.J. warned. Zack sighed.

"I just hope Angela and Tony are okay," Zack said sadly. He loved Angela, but she just didn't understand his time as a ranger. When his identity as Earth's first black ranger had been made public, a huge fight between them had ensued. It ended with her packing up, despite his protests, and taking Tony with her to her parents. Despite their angry parting, he was actually glad that she had left before they found and arrested him. He had made it clear to Gorbin that he and Angela were split up and since she was never a ranger, she knew nothing more than he had been one long ago. He hoped that was enough to convince them not to bother with her.

"Hey, Tommy and the others will come through. We have to believe that," T.J. said. The other three nodded in agreement.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

Cam sighed, as he monitored the computers in their new Ops room and removed his glasses, as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Want a fresh pair of eyes?" Hayley asked warmly, as she returned with two large cups of coffee.

"Thanks," Cam said, as he took a sip.

"Wow…that's good coffee. You should teach my dad how to make good coffee," Cam joked. She smiled and sat down next to him at the terminal.

"Is there a battle going on in San Angeles?" she asked, noticing the concentration of evil over that area.

"I think Flurious just launched an attack on the Overdrive rangers. I haven't picked up any of Ooze's lackeys yet," Cam replied.

"I find it really odd that Ivan Ooze is letting Flurious continue to run his own show," Hayley said skeptically.

"Me too, which is why I suspect that he must have some sort of agenda of his own for letting Flurious run amuck. There it is again!" Cam cried, as a signal beacon suddenly popped up on the screen.

"It's coming from Boston," Hayley said in confusion.

"I've run it through all codes I know and it's not translating into anything decipherable," Cam replied.

"Hmm…let's get Billy in here. Something tells me that whatever this is might be important," Hayley responded, as she sent a call to Billy's communicator.

* * *

_**Training Gym**_

Tori ducked Billy's crossing kick and thrust a punch at him, which was blocked. Tori caught his side kicked and he back flipped, continuing their spar, while Blake sparred a distracted Ethan.

"Come on Eth…focus," Blake said, as he helped him up.

"Sorry…I'm just really out of practice I guess," Ethan apologized, as Blake helped him up.

"You know, most blues are usually the brains of the operation and I guess I never thought I'd be rangering up again," Ethan mentioned. Billy smiled.

"It's okay Ethan, believe me, being a ranger again was the last thing I ever thought would happen," Billy replied.

"Easy for you to say. You're a great fighter. I hold my own, but a Ninja, I'm not," Ethan replied, as Blake and Tori chuckled.

"You're doing fine Ethan," Tori encouraged.

"Tori's right and I wasn't always a good fighter. In fact, I was the worst. My first day as a ranger was also my first day as a white belt in Jason's class and I was a disaster. For a long time, I wondered why the power chose me," Billy told him.

"Sometimes I wonder why the gem chose me too," Ethan mumbled.

"Hey, no talking like that. Very few of us started out as what might be considered model ranger material. Shane, Dustin, and I were the worst students in the Academy before we became rangers," Tori reminded.

"Yeah and you know Hunter and I made some seriously tweaked decisions in the beginning too," Blake added. Ethan nodded, feeling a little better, as Billy's phone chimed.

"What's up Hayley?" he answered.

"_Sorry to interrupt training, but there's a signal that keeps popping up on the monitors. Neither Cam nor I can make heads or tails of it. Can you come take a look?" _she asked.

"I'll be right there," Billy replied, as he hung up.

"Do you think it's another attack?" Blake asked.

"Not sure yet. I'll let you guys know," Billy replied. The three of them returned to training with the others, while Billy headed for Ops.

* * *

_**Silver Hills**_

_**GAMA Guardians Headquarters**_

Rose sat dejectedly in a chair at their new headquarters, which was also the newly renamed GAMA Guardians headquarters. This whole thing felt really wrong and she had a feeling that Ronny felt that way too, though she was adapting better than Rose. Will seemed perfectly at ease, though Rose knew now that his life as a spy made him very hard to read. But he had been vying for the position as leader and had taken to it naturally. Dax too was impressed by the attention, new technology, and their leadership of the GAMA guardians. But Rose felt empty and thinking about morphing into her ranger armor without Mack beside her made her insides twist.

"Earth to Rose," Ronny called. The pink clad genius looked up and gave her friend a small smile.

"Sorry, guess I was spacing out there," Rose replied.

"Try to cheer up. Things will work out," Ronny tried to assure her. Rose gave her a look.

"I'm not sure they will. I think we've made a huge mistake," Rose whispered. Before Ronny could respond though, there was commotion, as Will stormed into the room.

"Flurious is at it again in San Angeles. Let's move out," he ordered. The girls simply looked at him for a moment and he glared at them.

"I said let's go. Is there a problem?" he snapped. They shook their heads and quickly followed him and Dax.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

Billy entered Ranger Ops and approached the computer terminal where Cam and Hayley waited.

"What do you have?" Billy asked.

"There's a weird signal that we can't decode and it's coming from Boston," Cam replied.

"Boston…" Billy said, trying to recall why that seemed familiar, as he watched the blinking beacon.

"Are you sure you ran it through all know encryption decoders?" Billy asked. Cam shrugged.

"Everything I know, anyway," Cam replied.

"Even Morse code?" Billy questioned.

"Who uses Morse code anymore?" Cam asked. Billy smirked and started typing away.

"My dad," he answered, as he ran the beacon's frequency through the computer's encryption decoder.

"I thought you said that your dad lived in Washington D.C. now?" Hayley asked.

"He does and that's why I think he's trying to tell me something. He's in some kind of tight spot and he might be trying to send me a message and probably is deliberately bouncing it off the cell towers around Boston," Billy replied.

"Why Boston?" Cam asked.

"My cousin Carly. She attends MIT. My dad raised her after her parents were in killed in a plane crash six years ago," Billy explained, as the translation popped up on the screen. Billy sighed, as he read the message.

"Billy, unable to leave D.C. Danger to Carly. Find and protect before Gorbin does. Will contact soon if I can," Billy read the broken message in disbelief.

"What does your father do for a living?" Cam asked in equal disbelief. The blue ranger sighed.

"My father is a microbiologist and a very good one. Four years ago, he was approached by the government with a job offer. He would be heading his own top secret research team and while he couldn't tell me anything, I'm guessing the research he was going to be doing was alien in nature, if you get my drift," Billy explained.

"He took it of course, because the opportunity was just too good to pass up. He and Carly packed up and moved to D.C. Then a couple years ago, Carly was accepted to MIT," Billy said.

"But now that Gorbin has seemingly taken over, which we still don't understand how that happened, he made the connection between you and your father," Cam reasoned.

"Or saw that he was hired because of my ranger past. This whole sector nine thing stinks of conspiracy theory," Billy mentioned.

"So now you think they might be threatening to hurt Carly if your father tries to quit his job?" Hayley asked. Billy nodded.

"That's what it looks like. Dad would just call me if he needed to tell me something, but he chose to do this instead, which means he doesn't want them alerted to his plan to warn me," Billy said.

"I can teleport you to Boston, but maybe you should take Ethan. He knows the Campus and you're fugitives so you'll need to sneak around," Cam suggested. Billy nodded, as the alert went off.

"Oh great, what now?" Cam wondered, as he zoned in on the disturbance that the sensors were picking up. He brought it up on the viewing screen and they saw Flurious and his minions attacking San Angeles.

"It's not Ooze," Cam said.

"Then Overdrive is on their own," Billy replied.

"Don't you think Tommy or Jason might want to send a few rangers to help?" Hayley asked. Billy shook his head.

"They don't want our help. We'll only step in if things get out of control and people are in danger of being hurt, but I'll let them know what's going on. Then I'll be back with a team to take with me to Boston," Billy stated, as Cam sat back to monitor the Overdrive rangers battle.

"Should we tell Mack?" Hayley asked. Cam sighed.

"I don't know, he's been through a lot, but he'll probably find out anyway since he's training with the other reds," Cam replied.

"I have a feeling that Ooze is just waiting for something like this," Hayley mentioned.

"Probably, we need to be ready," Cam replied.

* * *

_**San Angeles**_

Will smirked smugly beneath his helmet, as they successfully drove Flurious' minions back with the help of the GAMA guardians. He was convinced now more than ever that he had made the right decision, as hard as it had been, though he hadn't shown it. He would lead his team to victory against Flurious and then Ivan Ooze would be next. He would prove to the "legends" that he wasn't a rookie and he would do it without all the fancy powers that the Phoenix ranger possessed.

"Had enough Flurious?" Will hissed, as the frozen villain made his appearance.

"Are you deluded enough into thinking that this is even close to being over, black ranger?" Flurious shot back. With those words, the cawing of birds was heard, as Tengu warriors descended upon them. Three warriors appeared, striding confidently toward the battlefield.

"Step back fool and enjoy the blood bath," the Sharkanian general known as Sloxis hissed.

"Only four rangers? This is going to get very messy very quickly," the Burlot general known as Mantissis stated in a bored tone.

"Relax Mantissis, the others won't be able to resist staying out of this one when we get started," the Duronian general known as Datuun promised.

"Bring it…we can take you," Dax boasted.

"Guardians ready," Will ordered, as the men, armed with high powered laser blasters, the best technology Earth had to offer, surrounded the alien beings. Unimpressed by the display, the three generals chuckled in amusement. As the Sharkanian advanced, wielding his curved blade, two guardians fired on him. But the laser blasts bounced harmlessly off his hand, as he blocked them and with a vicious slash, the two soldiers were cut down effortlessly, their blood slowly pooling around their bodies, as they bled out from the slashes to their throats.

"Oh my God…" Rose cried in horror. The Overdrive rangers drew their weapons and charged into battle against the Tengu warriors, Burmite minions, and Sharkanian foot soldiers.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

As Billy was gathering his team, the warning alarms went off and Cam was on it.

"Ooze's soldiers have made themselves known and it's not looking good," Cam called.

"Billy, take the blues and go after your cousin. We'll handle this," Jason ordered.

"Better contact Hunter," Tommy added.

"Already put out the call," Cam said, as he prepared to teleport the four blue rangers to Boston, but Kimberly noticed Tori's hard stare on the screen, particularly on the black Overdrive ranger.

"This is going to be a big shock for Carly and another familiar face besides Billy might be a good idea. I'll go with Billy, Blake, and Ethan while Tori takes my place," Kimberly suggested. Tori gave her a grateful look and Kimberly gave her an understanding gaze. If someone had caused Tommy to be hurt the way Will had caused Hunter to be, then nothing would have stopped her from settling the score and she wasn't going to deprive Tori of that same opportunity.

"Okay, let's move," Jason called, as the two groups teleported out.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Hunter dueled Dulcea, their swords clinking together in a furious series of strikes and parries. He had quickly learned why his mother was referred to as Master warrior of Phaedos. In his first five minutes dueling her, she had disarmed him three times, but he was quickly catching onto the art of sword fighting and getting a feel for his weapon. Their swords locked, as his communicator beeped. They disengaged and Hunter answered.

"Go for Hunter," he said.

"_Big trouble in San Angeles," _Hayley's voice informed.

"I'm on my way," Hunter replied, as he gave Dulcea a quick hug, before he and Zedd were snatched up in a stream of teleportation…


	24. Chapter 23: Cross My Line

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 23! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

ichie: Thank you. Glad you like the story. Don't worry, I will keep writing. :)

Boris Yeltsin: Thank you, more actions scenes to come in the next few chapters.

Harry2: Yep, Hunter is getting a feel for his new powers and he's definitely going to get some on the job training in the next couple chapters.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Well, the next couple chapters are full of battle, so anything could happen ;) As for Scorpina...it does seem like something she may be involved in. Only time will tell.

RHatch89" Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

MMPRFansince93: The upcoming battle is here! Enjoy :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. :) As for Gorbin, I don't know when, but he'll get what's coming to him...eventually. ;) Yes, I know I need to get back to the romance. The next couple chapters will involve a lot of battle and action sequences. Then after that I will be delving into the relationships during the ranger's downtime. Billy/Kat will come, but it's really slow. I know it's chapter 23 already, but it actually hasn't even been a month since Cestria died in the story. It just seems like it has been longer since I've managed to pack 23 chapters into just a handful of days. Billy/Kat will come though, as well as more Conner/Kira, Tommy/Kim, various other couples, and of course Hunter/Tori ;)

fallingstar22: Yeah, I know it was a long time coming. Unfortunately, since I'm working with such a large cast, sometimes it seems like I forget some characters in the subplot. I haven't forgotten, it's just hard to fit everything in a chapter with so many characters and plots going on. The story is moving a little slowly, but that's just because I love detail and want to flesh out all characters and plots as much as possible. I'm glad you like the story, cause I am loving writing it. :)

garnetred: Will may get a little taste of how wrong he was in this chapter. How long will it take until he admits it and eats crow? Only time will tell. :) Glad you're enjoying the story.

Guest: Thanks, glad you like the story. And Will just may get his butt handed to him as you put it. I agree, Dustin and coffee are like Rocky and jolt cola. Don't mix them, lol. ;)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 23: Cross My Line

_I will hunt you down in time, will have you in my sight,  
can see throughout this night, will find your weakness.  
Now, you belong to me solely.  
Now, I will shatter your chances.  
Now, say the power is on you now. _

_You have a reason, you have a rhyme.  
*You have been thinking to cross my line.  
You are/were the soul mate, you are/were the crime.  
You've gone too far, you've crossed my line. _

_You've gone too far._

_You've gone too far._

_**Song: Cross My Line**_

_**Artist: Aaron Waters**_

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

_**Hotel Suite of Malcolm Renaldi**_

Malcolm Renaldi angrily tossed his glass, which was half full of brandy, against the wall of his hotel suite where he had been staying in Blue Bay Harbor.

"Idiots…I ask you to find her in this stupid little town and you come up empty every time!" he roared.

"We're sorry Sir, but she's not here anymore," one apologized.

"They're saying on the news that the rangers have all disappeared since they're wanted by the government," another added. Malcolm growled.

"I don't want any more excuses! I want that bitch dead and my son!" he ranted.

"Sir…there's something you should see on the news," a third guard said.

"What?" he spat.

"_This is Crystal Rayman reporting live from San Angeles, California where the power ranger team known as Operation Overdrive was battling the villain known as Flurious. It seemed that the Overdrive rangers were slowly pushing his forces back, when a new batch of frightening creatures appeared and began to overwhelm them. More rangers have since shown up, the same rangers that are wanted fugitives," _the reporter droned on.

"Get me to my plane. We're going to San Angeles," Malcolm hissed.

* * *

_**A Government Facility**_

_**Somewhere in Washington D.C.**_

Alan Cranston coughed violently, as two of Gorbin's goons finished their interrogation. Shortly after his coded warning to Billy had gone out, he had been discovered. Gorbin wasn't in Washington, but his ugly face was watching the whole thing and plastered on the flat screen monitor in the room.

"What did you tell your son?" Gorbin asked again.

"I told you…nothing important, just that I loved him and to be careful. Is that a crime?" Alan spat.

"Actually, in times of war where your son is a wanted fugitive, it is indeed. Now tell us what you really told him," Gorbin demanded.

"I told you already!" Alan cried, as he was on the receiving end of more fists connecting with his body, before the men dropped the scientist to the cold floor.

"I warned you not to cross me, Cranston. Now I'm afraid your niece will pay the price," Gorbin stated coldly.

"No…no Carly doesn't have anything to do with this!" Alan hissed.

"Perhaps not…but I have heard she is a gifted scientist herself. Too bad all that talent will go to waste," Gorbin said, as he turned to his men.

"Place the good doctor under arrest and transfer him to the maximum security prison on the Stone Canyon base with our other war criminals," Gorbin stated. One man raised a nightstick and struck the scientist, as blackness overtook him.

* * *

_**San Angeles**_

Sloxis chuckled, imagining the looks of shock that were probably plastered on the four Overdrive ranger's faces beneath their helmets, as he cut down another GAMA guardian. Human bodies littered the ground and blood spattered the concrete. He laughed out loud, as he watched the pink one sink to her knees.

"Get up Rose," Will snapped harshly, as he drew his weapon, preparing to fight.

"Will…this is insane. We don't stand a chance…we need help!" Ronny pleaded. Will scoffed.

"We can handle this!" he hissed, as he charged at the Sharkanian general, who for his own amusement idly fought the black ranger, clearly getting bored very quickly.

"Oh my God…all those people…" Kira cried sadly, as they stood atop a tall building and observed the carnage below.

"This is why fighting aliens should be left to rangers. These guys are in a whole different league than anything we've ever faced," Jason stated.

"Well, I suppose we should save Will's punk ass before that Sharkanian gets bored and goes on the offensive," Shane suggested.

"Right…let's go," Tommy called. Shane took point, as he Tori, Dustin, and Cam Ninja streaked onto the battlefield in Ninja form and began to fight their way through the shark creatures. Mack, already morphed, joined them.

Jason and Conner took the Dino team, minus Ethan to face the Burlot general and his Burmites, while Tommy took his, minus Kimberly and Billy to face the Duronian general and the Tengu birds.

"Mack!" Rose cried in surprise, as he helped her up. Though their visors obstructed their view, they knew their eyes were meeting.

"I'm sorry Mack…I made a terrible mistake, you were right about them," Rose whispered.

"It's okay Rose…we'll figure that out later," Mack assured her, they resumed battling the Sharkanian foot soldiers.

"Well, well, I see the real rangers have finally shown up. Maybe I'll get a workout today, after all," Sloxis goaded, as he batted Will away like a mere fly.

"Ready guys?" Shane asked, receiving nods, as they raised their arms into the air.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!"

"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!"

Blue, green, red, and yellow streaks could be seen, as they each took their shot at Sloxis, who put up an almost impenetrable defense. Angry at being shown up, Will leapt into battle with the Sharkanian as well.

A beam of water slammed into him, courtesy of Tori, but he strode through it, not affected by the element he was most used to.

"Sorry little girl, your water attacks are useless," he goaded, as he brought his blade down on her. Tori blocked him with her dolphin daggers and kicked him in the gut. Shocked by her prowess on the battlefield, he angrily knocked her away, before being blown back by one of Shane's air attacks. Not to be outdone, Dustin launched an earth beam at the ground beneath Sloxis, unearthing it and tossing the general on his back. With distinct hand movements, the yellow wind ranger disappeared beneath the ground and burrowed toward the shark-like alien. But Sloxis himself disappeared beneath the ground and burrowed toward Dustin head on.

"Land shark!" he cried, as he struck and Dustin was thrown to the surface, landing painfully on his back.

"That didn't go well," Dustin groaned in pain, as Cam and Shane helped him up.

"Let me at this fish freak!" Will called, as he charged at Sloxis

"Wait…we have to take this guy on together!" Tori called, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Dude is whacked in the head," Dustin scoffed.

"That may be, but we still need to help him or we lower ourselves to his level," Cam stated, being the voice of reason.

"Cam's right…even after what he's done, I'm not like him," Tori said, as they saw sparks spew from Will, as he fell on his back. Sloxis loomed over him, preparing to deliver the killing blow.

Meanwhile, Tori took both ends of her daggers and locked the handles together, forming a double ended blade. A string shimmered into existence, as did a canister of arrows on her back.

"Sweet bow," Dustin complimented.

"Thanks," Tori replied, as she strung an arrow and fired it at the Sharkanian general. It sparked with blue energy as it struck him and threw him to the ground.

"Nice shot…my turn," Cam said, as he called his energy and launched a blizzard attack, as the creature got to his feet. Sloxis growled and managed to endure the attack, but not without injury.

"You'll all pay for that…starting with you blue ranger!" he growled, as he disappeared beneath the ground again.

"Where is he?" Shane asked, as his eyes darted around.

"I don't know, I don't even see his creepy fin anywhere," Dustin cried, as he searched as well.

"GUYS!" Tori cried, as it was suddenly coming right toward her and Cam. He struck and the two of them were knocked hard on their backs. Fortunately, their more armored ranger uniforms prevented broken ribs or internal bleeding. However, Will was not so lucky. Sloxis hovered over the injured black ranger, who had been forced to rip his helmet up to cough up blood from obvious internal injuries thanks to the earlier blows he had sustained.

"Mmm…blood. Do you know what happens when a shark smells blood?" Sloxis hissed, his fangs dripping with salivation.

"We become absolutely crazed and we feast…" Sloxis growled. Will, his face usually an unreadable mask, couldn't hide the fear he felt, as the Sharkanian announced just what his intentions for him were. Sloxis roared and prepared to sink his razor sharp fangs into human flesh when a crimson thunder bolt struck him. He screeched in agony and convulsed violently in pain, as he turned and saw the unmorphed crimson ranger land, after jumping from a huge bird zord that cawed loudly and soared away.

"You interrupted my meal time, crimson ranger," Sloxis hissed.

"My heart bleeds," Hunter replied sarcastically, as his morpher flashed to life on his wrist.

"Phoenix Storm, Ranger Form!" he called out, as crimson flames engulfed him and his armor molded around his body. Sloxis charged at the crimson ranger with sword drawn and Hunter drew his own saber, disappearing into his ninja streak, landing multiple strikes to his enemy. Sloxis' smoking form twitched on the ground and he groaned in pain, as he slowly picked himself up.

"I won't be bested by a child!" Sloxis growled, as he disappeared beneath the ground again.

"He's heading right for you!" Dustin called, as they saw his fin set dead on for where Hunter was standing, but the crimson ranger remained where he was, smirking beneath his helmet. His teammates watched in complete amazement, as Hunter put his foot down…literally on Sloxis' fin and he skidded back slightly. Once Hunter stopped the struggling creature, who was now stuck beneath the ground, he lifted his foot and grabbed his fin, yanking him from the ground with his brute strength, before tossing the twitching creature unceremoniously on the ground.

"Your land shark thing is a bit useless against me now," Hunter boasted. Sloxis growled.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he growled, as he charged again with his sword aimed for the crimson ranger.

"Time to roast this fish," Shane said.

"I agree, his smell is starting to make me sick," Tori grumbled, as she held up one of her arrows.

"Light please," she told her boyfriend. Hunter smirked and lit the arrow tip on fire. Tori threaded the arrow, aimed, and fired. The arrow struck Sloxis dead on in the chest and crimson flames slowly engulfed his body.

"NO…NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" he screamed, as he tried in vain to extinguish the flames.

"Oh it's happening and now it's done," Hunter said, as tendrils of fire swirled around him, gathering in his palms, and then shooting forth in a beam of crimson fire. Sloxis' scream of terror could be heard before he exploded and even his ashes were incinerated.

The wind rangers' visors opened, while Cam and Hunter's helmets folded back. Will stared up at them with contempt in his eyes.

"Guess you'll get your revenge on me now," Will spat bitterly.

"I'm not going to kill you. Good friends taught me a long time ago that revenge never gets you anything except blood on your hands…and I'm not like that anymore," Hunter stated, as turned to the blue Overdrive ranger.

"Get your friend some medical attention. If you wait much longer, it will be too late to heal his internal injuries," Hunter said to Dax, as he stalked off with his teammates following him. As they were about to join the others in their battles, Cam's phone chimed.

"What is it Hayley?" Cam asked.

"_There's big trouble in Blue Bay Harbor. I'm sending a visual to your phone," _Hayley said. Cam and others watched the video feed of a massive machine, with the likeness of a Scorpion, breathing fire on downtown Blue Bay Harbor.

"Shit…looks like zord time," Shane suggested.

"But Blake is still in Boston," Dustin reminded.

"Mom went over zord specs with me briefly. We can't bring them all together without him, but the Phoenix zord can combine either with the storm Megazord, with Blake and Cam's zords, or with all five when we're together. The navy dragon and green snow leopard zords also have warrior modes on their own. It will have to do for now," Hunter stated, as he put his phone to his ear.

"Tommy, you guys got this? Ooze has one of his zords wrecking Blue Bay Harbor," Hunter stated.

"_Yeah, we got this. Go help Blue Bay,"_ Tommy replied.

"Let's go," Hunter said, as they disappeared into streaks of teleportation.

* * *

_**Cambridge**_

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

_**MIT Campus**_

"This campus is huge. She could be anywhere," Blake said, as they arrived in civilian form at the MIT campus.

"Maybe we can ask around?" Kimberly suggested. Billy shook his head.

"We'll be too easily recognized. Ethan, did you get hacked in?" Billy asked. The blue Dino ranger nodded.

"It's MIT Dr. C and I'm not you. I can hack into most systems, but this one is top notch," Ethan replied, as he handed his laptop to Billy. The genius sat down on a bench and went to work. It only took him a few moments to hack in and find Carly's class schedule.

"Great…her classes are over for today. She could be anywhere on campus," Billy said.

"Maybe she's in her dorm," Kimberly said.

"It's getting close to dinner time. We might catch her near the dining halls," Blake suggested.

"Okay, Ethan and Kimberly check out her dorm. Blake and I will head toward the dining hall," Billy replied.

Carly Cranston closed her cell phone again for what seemed like the tenth time that day. The Librarian kept shooting her dirty looks and gesturing to the no cell phone sign. But she was worried. It wasn't like her Uncle not to return her calls or call to check on her. With her cousin's identity being revealed a few days ago, she had feared for her Uncle's safety, especially since things in Washington had suddenly seemed to go insane. She wasn't so naïve to believe that they didn't know about her either. Though she had not seen anyone suspicious around, she knew she was being watched. Her roommate thought she was being paranoid, but growing up in Angel Grove around the original teams, she was gifted with their hyper sensitivity to anything weird.

"Hey Carls…" a voice said, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. The sandy blonde girl's wide green eyes turned to meet the eye of her roommate and friend, Lisa.

"Geez…you need to lay off the caffeine, girl," the African American girl stated. Carly sighed.

"Sorry Lisa…just a little jumpy I guess," Carly said, as she turned back to her book. Page 214, the same page she had been on an hour ago. Sighing, she closed it and shoved it away. There would be no studying today.

"Girl, there is no one after you. You need to relax," Lisa tried to console her.

"You're probably right," Carly replied, as two men wearing dark blue uniforms and red berets entered the library. Carly felt her heart start to pound in her chest, as they made their way toward her slowly.

"Girl you're white as a sheet," Lisa said, noticing how pale her friend was suddenly.

"Lisa…we need to get out of here," Carly hissed, as she started toward the back of the library.

"Carls…" Lisa called, as she stood up and noticed the goons behind her. She put her hands on her hips and stood in their way.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded. The man responded by pointing a gun at her.

"Out of the way," he ordered. Lisa helplessly put her hands up and sat back down, as the men stalked toward the rows of shelved books.

"Carly Cranston, we have a warrant for your arrest. Come quietly and we won't have to hurt you," the lead GAMA guardian called. A response came in the form of a heavy history book that beamed him right in the head. He grunted in pain and cocked his gun, as he and his partner combed through the rows.

Carly made her way into the back toward the emergency exit when a gunshot rang out. She screamed and covered her head, as glass from the now shattered light bar above her rained down on her.

"Stop right there, Ms. Cranston and we won't have to hurt you," the man ordered. Carly took her chances and darted out the door and ran as fast as she could, with the two red bereted men hot on her heels.

"Man…any sign of her?" Blake asked.

"Not yet, but she'll get hungry sooner or later," Billy replied, as they hung out near the dining hall. They had kept their sunglasses on and heads down for the most part, but the anonymity didn't last.

"Hey…" a voice called. The two turned to find campus security before them.

"Student ID badges please," he ordered.

"Um…" Blake stuttered.

"We don't go here, but my cousin does. We're just waiting for her and then we'll be on our way," Billy stated, hoping he would let it go.

"I'm afraid that's not allowed. If you're not a student here, you must go through the main office to obtain a visitor's pass," the man stated. Suddenly, they heard a gunshot ring out. The security officer turned away, allowing Billy and Blake to make a run for it.

"That came from the library!" Billy called.

"Stop!" the security guard called, as several more surrounded them.

"Ninjetti…The Wolf!"

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!"

Blue and Navy light engulfed them and they leapt clean over the approaching guards, before landing and they kept running. From the sky, Billy's wolf glider soared down and he jumped on.

"_Blake, I'm sending your thunder glider,"_ Zedd called through the comm in Blake's helmet.

"Thanks Uncle Z," Blake replied, as he jumped and flipped onto the Navy thunder glider, following Billy through the sky.

Carly screamed, as one of the men grabbed her and backhanded her. She hit the ground hard and tried to crawl away, but he was on her cuffing her before she could move.

"General Gorbin has ordered that you be brought to him, Ms. Cranston. I suggest you stop struggling if you want to save yourself anymore pain," he stated coldly.

"Go to hell," she spat, as he forced her to her feet. He pulled her to him and glared.

"Maybe we should teach you some respect on our way to California," he leered. Carly responded by spitting in his face. He drew back to slap her again when she stomped on his foot, tearing away from him, despite her cuffed hands. They started after her, but she heard a scuffle and looked back, finding the blue ranger there knocking them down. She screamed, as she was suddenly scooped up and soaring through the air.

"Relax…you're safe," Blake assured her, as his visor opened.

"I'm Blake," he said, as he stared down at the beautiful wide eyed girl in his arms.

"Carly…" she stammered. He smirked and his visor closed.

"Yo wolf man, I got your cousin!" he called, as Billy soared beside him.

"Thanks Blake, let's meet up with Ethan and Kim," he called back, as they landed near the dorms, despite the chaos they had created on campus.

"Billy…is that you?" Carly asked, as Blake set her on her feet. He pulled his helmet off and she dove into his arms.

"Man Carls…look at you, you're all grown up," he said in amazement. She rolled her eyes.

"Duh…I'm like twenty now," she retorted, making him chuckle.

"Kimberly?" she asked.

"Hey kiddo," Kim said, as she removed her helmet and hugged the younger girl. Carly noticed the last blue ranger, as he removed his helmet.

"I'm Ethan," he stated. She nodded.

"Ethan James…you were a student here too," she remembered, as Blake's phone chimed.

"What is it bro?" Blake answered.

"_Trouble in Blue Bay. Ooze has one of his skyscraper sized monstrosities attacking the city. Zord up," _Hunter ordered.

"Got it," Blake responded.

"We better go help the others in San Angeles," Kim suggested.

"Uncle Z, you got a lock on Carly?" Blake asked, as he commed his surrogate uncle.

"_Ready when she is,"_ he called back.

"Carly, we're teleporting you to safety and we'll see you soon, I promise," Billy told her. She nodded and was teleported away in a white streak of light. Now that Carly was safe, Blake teleported to Blue Bay Harbor, while the other three teleported to San Angeles to help their teams.

_The battle rages on in the next chapter…_


	25. Chapter 24: Supermassive Black Hole

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 24! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Harry2: Yep, it's zord time. Glad you're enjoying the story.

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

MMPRFansince93: Yep, Carly is safe and eventually, they'll find out about theri friends' captivity. And more battle scenes are ahead in this chapter and even the next!

fallingstar22: Yep, Carly is safe now. As for Ronny and Rose, we will soon see. ;)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: You review made me smile, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. More battle scenes ahead and I promise I haven't forgotten your story. I set aside links on my ipad of stories to read when I have time and yours is in there. I just haven't had much time to read lately. I am looking forward to yours though and I'll leave you a review when I get to it. :)

garnetred: Yeah, the poor GAMA guardians will soon realize that Gorbin is just sending them to be slaughtered...hopefully. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 24: Supermassive Black Hole

_Oh baby dont you know I suffer?  
Oh baby can you hear me moan?  
You caught me under false pretenses  
How long before you let me go?_

_You set my soul alight_  
_You set my soul alight_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the supermassive_

_Supermassive Black Hole_

_**Song: Supermassive Black Hole**_

_**Artist: Muse**_

* * *

Ronny and Dax found themselves hurled into the side of a building by Mantissis, while his burmites continued to cut down GAMA guardians all around. The General extracted his tail from another empty guardian uniform, having finished another meal.

"Your energy will be a most welcome addition to my supply, yellow ranger," he hissed, as his tail barreled toward the frozen Overdrive ranger.

"Stego shield!" Kat cried, as her violet shield stopped the dangerous appendage from impaling Ronny.

"Para bow…fire!" Tanya called, as she fired three green arrows at the monster. Sparks ensued, but he stood tall.

"You'll have to do better than that…rangers," he hissed.

"If you say so," Jason cried, as he charged.

"Brachio staff…saber mode!" Jason called, as his staff extended in length, a blade springing forth and he leapt into the air, slashing at the General. Mantissis parried the Gold Dino ranger's blade with his own, as they traded strikes. The Burlot slashed Jason across the chest, sending him flying to the ground, while Trini swung her Ankylo glaive, catching him in the face. He saw his yellowish blood on his fingers and growled, as he slashed viciously at the silver ranger, who managed to block him several times. But the seasoned warrior soon swept her legs out from under her. Trini landed on her back and saw the monster's blade poised to come down on her, when she heard Conner call out to the others.

"Z-Rex blaster!" Conner, Kira, and Ethan called, as they shot the concentrated beam. The bug-like warrior growled in annoyance, as he turned and held his palm out, receiving the attack, and thrusting it back, blowing the three rangers apart in all directions. They landed painfully and Conner struggled to his feet, wielding the Triassic shield. The red ranger charged, Triassic sword ready, only to be blocked by Mantissis with ease.

"Stupid child…you are no match for me," he hissed, as he batted him away. Conner rolled to the ground and started to get up, but felt the Burlot's foot on his helmet.

"Say goodnight, red ranger," he hissed.

"Think again asshole," Jason spat, as he landed a kick to his head, throwing him off Conner.

"Let's bring 'em together guys," Jason called," as he and Trent added their weapons to the Z-Rex blaster. Tanya added her bow across the head of the weapon, Kat attached her sabers on each side next to Kira's Ptera grips and Trini slammed her Ankylo glaive atop Kat's bow.

"Jurassic Canon!" they cried in unison, as they launched the concentrated blast. This one broke through Mantissis' defenses, causing a huge explosion and a cry of pain as well as disbelief from the alien general. When the smoke cleared, Mantissis struggled to pull himself to his feet and the rangers were pleasantly horrified to see one of his arms had been blown completely off and yellowish blood gushed from the open wound.

"Finish him Conner!" Jason called.

"Battleizer!" Conner cried, as his extra armor molded around his body and his canons appeared on his shoulders.

"Battle blast!" Conner cried, wasting no more time. Mantissis cried out again, unable to avoid it, and his voice was squelched with the finality of another massive explosion. As the dust and smoke cleared again, pieces of the alien littered the battlefield, as did the remains of the Tengu birds that had assisted him.

"What a mess," Kira said, wrinkling her nose beneath her helmet.

"Yeah, I miss the days when the villains we face didn't bleed, because they weren't really alive," Trini mentioned, as she felt her husband squeeze her shoulder.

"Come on guys, let's go see if Tommy and the others need help," Jason stated, as they heard a sudden clapping. The rangers turned and Kat felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Bravo rangers…I must say that I am impressed, especially with you my dear Katherine," Malcolm hissed, as several of his goons flanked him.

"Who are you?" Trent demanded, as Jason's helmet folded back.

"Malcolm Renaldi…you've got guts showing your face here," Jason sneered.

"Malcolm…as in the douchebag that's been trying to kill Kat?" Conner asked. Trini nodded.

"Relax Agent Scott…or should I say former agent Scott. I'm just here to talk to my lovely wife," he drawled sarcastically.

"Ex-wife, you bastard," Katherine spat.

"I'm warning you now, Renaldi, walk away or you'll have to be carried away when we get done with you," Jason threatened.

"I acquired these high powered blasters on the black market. I've heard they can take on aliens or even rangers. Just let me talk to Katherine and I won't have my men use them," Malcolm reasoned. The rangers looked at each other, wondering if this guy was really serious about taking them on after what he just witnessed them do to the Burlot General.

* * *

The Astro Megaship Mach II soared through hyperspace after barely escaping KO-35 alive. It carried Andros, his wife Ashley, Zhane, and his fiancé Karone. They had set the course for Eltar, hoping it was still untouched by Ivan's forces. Ooze's army had given chase, but the Astro Megaship was too fast and was able to lose them.

"Andros…we're picking up a distress signal," Zhane said, from his seat at the controls.

"Can you pinpoint the origin?" the red space ranger asked.

"Edenoi," Zhane said, as he played the static filled recording.

"_We're…attack…please send…help. This is…Prince Dex…please help…" _the voice pleaded.

"Prince Dex?" Ashley asked in confusion.

"Also known as the Masked Rider, protector of Edenoi. We can't ignore the call," Andros said.

"Whoa…we barely got ourselves off KO-35 alive and you want to go back into that? Ashley can't even morph with her broken arm," Zhane argued.

"We can't ignore a cry for help, Zhane," Karone said, as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Karone is right. We're going, even if it's only to find Dex and any survivors we can and take them with us. Karone can use the pink morpher until it can be returned to Cassie," Andros said. Zhane sighed and changed their course.

* * *

Tommy felt his armor absorb most of the blow, as Datuun pounded his fist into Tommy's back. The white ranger rolled and leapt to his feet, drawing his Falcon saber to block Datuun's blade.

"You're weak, Terran ranger…simply no match for a seasoned warrior such as me," the green skinned monster hissed.

"Yeah…I've heard that line before. I defeated the ones that said the same thing and you'll be no different. You'll spill no more innocent blood," Tommy hissed back, as he delivered a flying kick to the warrior's abdomen, thrusting him back.

"Spirit Orbs!" Tommy called, as he fired several glowing white energy spheres at his enemy. Datuun growled, as he went about blocking the white ranger's attacks.

* * *

"Back off ugly…" Aisha growled, as she kicked the ooze henchmen back and used her telekinesis to lift them off their feet.

"Hey Sha, set them down over there!" she heard her husband called. She sent the creatures sailing into the street, her eyes wide, as she saw her husband lift a car with his bare hands. The two foot soldiers landed at Rocky's feet in a heap. They growled and started to get to their feet, but the red ranger ended their pitiful existence by dropping the car on them. Aisha grimaced at the disgusting crunching and squishing sounds, as purple ooze slowly leaked out from beneath the trashed car. Rocky leapt over the car and joined her, as more creeps surrounded them.

"Man…where do these things keep coming from?" he asked, as one swiped at them. Rocky grabbed their oozing dreadlocks and slammed them together, knocking them into a dazed heap at their feet.

"You're having way too much fun with your super strength," Aisha chided.

"It's awesome!" he cheered.

"Hey Ad, how about a little target practice?" Rocky called, as his best friend, ooze covered boots and all, made his way through the creatures, them dropping around the advancing black ranger.

"Sounds like a plan. Ready when you are," Adam called. Aisha rolled her eyes, as Rocky grabbed one by the dreadlocks and threw him into the air. Adam fired his axe canon and watched the creature explode, raining ooze down on them.

"Aww…gross you guys!" Aisha complained, as their suits were covered in ooze now.

"Okay…maybe that wasn't the best idea," Adam stated.

"Don't be a pansy…it's just a little ooze. Do it again," Rocky said, as he tossed another into the air by its dreadlocks. Adam made the shot, raining ooze down on an unsuspecting Billy and Kimberly, as they arrived to the battlefield via teleportation.

"Ooohhh…" Adam winced.

"ROCKY!" Kim shouted, as she looked at her ooze covered uniform.

"Sorry Kim…" Rocky apologized, as he grabbed another ooze soldier and beamed him into the side of a delivery truck, splattering his remains all over the side.

"He's having way too much fun with this," Adam complained, as he fired, taking potshots at more of them.

"Tell me about it," Aisha said, as she and Billy sliced through a few more, as Kimberly fired her arrows and blew them back with her crane call. Finally, they seemed to stop coming and they joined Tommy, who was struggling against the far superior warrior known as Datuun. Adam, Billy, and Kimberly advanced first, armed with their weapons, but with a swipe of his blade, Datuun slashed all three, first throwing Adam into a nearby park bench. He backhanded Kimberly, sending her rolling to the ground and kneed Billy hard in the abdomen, causing him to double over in pain. Aisha, Rocky and Tommy attacked before the green skinned warrior could use his blade to end the blue ranger, but found themselves tossed away like rag dolls.

"This isn't working," Rocky groaned in pain, as he picked himself up.

"No kidding…we need a new strategy," Tommy said, as he held his chest in pain, even as he pulled himself to his feet.

"So far, Phoenix fire and the power blaster are the only things that have killed any of these creeps," Adam mentioned.

"Yeah, but we can't rely on Hunter all the time to face the Duronians and this guy is stronger than the last," Billy said.

"Power blaster is worth a try though," Kimberly agreed, as they prepared to bring them together. Suddenly, several of Datuun's energy blasts unearthed the ground beneath them.

"I've grown tired of this rangers and my Master has ordered the destruction of this pitiful city," Datuun said, as there was a sudden flash in the sky, as flying fighter jet sized, piloted by various foot soldiers, numbering in the dozens and quickly growing began firing on the city.

"Shit…get the zords and head them off!" Tommy called, as they watched the Duronian General board his own craft and fire directly at them.

"Hayley…please tell me the zords are the way…" Tommy called into his phone.

"_They're on the way…"_ Hayley responded. As she said that, the eerie howl of a wolf sounded, as the wolf zord ran through the streets of San Angeles.

"I'll go find Jason and the others. We're going to need Dino zords too, Hayley," Billy called into his phone, as he boarded the wolf zord

"_Carly has that covered for me, they're on the way too. She's quite handy at the controls," _Hayley mentioned. The other Ninja zords roared and cawed, as the others disappeared into beams of teleportation, reappearing in the cockpits of their respective zords.

"Okay, Kim and I will take down what we can in the air. You three blast whatever makes it past us," Tommy called, as he fired a round of Falcon missiles. Kim backed him up with crane lasers, pink energy blasting through enemy piloted ships.

* * *

"Look Malcolm, you're the least of our problems right now. Get lost or risk getting caught in the crossfire," Jason warned.

"I'm just here to talk to my wife," Malcolm said, feigning innocence with a smug look on this face that Kat wanted to scratch off. Removing her helmet, letting her blonde hair fly free in the evening breeze, she glared daggers at him.

"Ex-wife, you bastard and you are in no position to make demands any longer. I let you hurt me too many times…for too many years, but that's never going to happen again. Your small potatoes compared to what we're dealing with now," Katherine spat.

"I'm ashamed I ever let you do the things you did to me," she added sadly.

"Don't be Kat…none of that is your fault and if Mr. Fancy pants doesn't get his rich boy ass out of here, I just might forget he's not one of Ooze's goons," Tanya spat.

"It's okay T…I'm not afraid of him anymore. He can't hurt me," Kat stated. Malcolm smirked and snorted.

"You really believe that? You're going to hide in that suit forever now?" he taunted.

"I'm not hiding. I've been chosen by the power to protect the Earth from evil and that includes you. I forgot that, because you tried to destroy everything I was…but you couldn't. And now you'll never hurt me or Aiden ever again," Kat said, finally standing up to him.

"That's my girl," Tanya cheered.

"You stupid whore…you think I can't hurt you anymore?" Malcolm spat, getting a crazed look in his eye, as he drew one of the blasters he talked about and fired. But Kat's Stego shield absorbed the laser fire. Jason shook his head in amusement, as he saw Billy's wolf zord arrive and the blue ranger jumped down from the cockpit. Startled by the large zord before him and the advancing ranger, he fired his gun on instinct. Billy scoffed, as the laser bolts bounced harmlessly off his ranger armor.

"Please, it's ranger armor, moron. Anything on the black market was created by amateurs with no knowledge of how to break through the morphing grid," he spat, as he removed his helmet. Billy suspected that GAMA did have weapons they were working on to break through their ranger defenses, but he knew that anything on the black market was nothing that could harm them as long as they were morphed.

"We've got trouble and we need the Dino zords," Billy informed, as they observed the alien fighters.

"_The Brachio is on its way with the other zords and it seems that this Brachio zord has been upgraded. There's a warrior mode now so it's no longer just a carrier zord," _the voice of Carly Cranston sounded through Billy's phone, which he had on speaker.

"That was fast. You read through zord specs already?" he asked, impressed by his cousin.

"_Duh…I am your cousin, genius," _came the sassy reply.

"I think I'm going to like that girl," Tanya mentioned.

"Let's go," Jason said, as they ignored the confused and gaping billionaire gangster.

"This isn't over Katherine!" he called, but found himself ignored again.

"It is over if you know what's good for you," Billy said, glaring at him from the base of the wolf zord. Malcolm smirked.

"I'm not afraid of you ranger. I know your code and it doesn't allow you to use your powers for personal gain, especially against your own kind. Fortunately, I don't follow the same idiotic code," Malcolm hissed. Billy shook his head.

"Oh I'm not going to blast you to bits like I could, that's too easy, though it would be quite entertaining," Billy said, with a chuckle.

"It would be like child's play for me to hack into your accounts and send all your precious money bouncing around so many banks that you'd never find it all," Billy threatened.

"You don't have the guts," Malcolm spat, though losing his fortune was positively his greatest fear.

"Leave Kat and Aiden alone or you'll be poor as a mouse," the blue ranger warned, before he took to the controls of his wolf zord and headed off to battle.

* * *

"Whoa…check out the giant scorpion," Dustin said, as they arrived in downtown Blue Bay Harbor, at least what was left of it. The sheer destruction was disheartening, especially since it had occurred in just minutes.

"So…how about those zords," Shane suggested. Hunter nodded.

"They're on their way," Hunter replied, indicating the sky, as the wind suddenly picked up. A massive crimson bird flew above them and cawed loudly.

"Dude…that thing's huge!" Dustin cried.

"That's just the carrier zord. It's large enough to accommodate space travel, according to my Uncle, and has firepower of its own. But a smaller version for planetary battles is inside with the other zords," Hunter explained.

"I'm not impressed very often…but wow…" Cam said, taking in the technological wonder before him. Hunter smirked.

"Just wait until you see the other zords," he promised, as Blake teleported in.

"Whoa…looks like I'm just in time," the Navy Thunder ranger said. The ramp dropped on the underside of the Phoenix carrier zord and six smaller zords descended. Leading them was a smaller crimson version of the Phoenix zord, outlined in gold, with an impressive wing span of its own. Following it was a spiraling, spindly navy and chrome dragon zord. Cam's was next and he got the first look at his green and white snow leopard lined in chrome as well. The hawk, lion, and dolphin zords looked similar to their old zords, but slightly larger. Like the other new zords, their colors were muted and the zords had a more chrome-like appearance.

"Whoa…talk about a zord upgrade. No offense Cam," Shane said in awe.

"None taken," Cam replied, his amazement equal to the red ranger's.

"Let's go," Hunter called, as they disappeared into six beams of colored light and each rematerialized in the cockpit of their respective zords.

"This is awesome!" Dustin called, as he took the controls of his new Lion zord, taking point, and charging into downtown. Scorpitron curled its tail and fired purple blasts of energy, causing Dustin's zord to shudder violently.

"Try this on for size, bug breath. Lion lasers!" he called, as he fired yellow energy blasts. The mechanical creature screeched and tromped toward the lion zord, raising its tail to strike.

"Not so fast ugly," Blake called, as his navy dragon roared and breathed navy lightning on the creature. It hissed and roared angrily in response, shooting more lasers, narrowly missing the hawk zord and instead hitting a skyscraper in the business district behind him, causing the tall building to explode and collapse.

"Damn…we need to end this little creep. I have an idea. Tori, hose him down with a water attack!" Cam called.

"One Tsunami…coming right up," Tori called from the controls of the dolphin. The tail of her zord swished and a wave of water doused the creature. Cam's snow leopard ran gracefully through the abandoned streets of Blue Bay Harbor and he shot and ice beam at Scorpitron, causing the water on and around him to freeze, effectively making him immobile.

"That was brilliant, Cam. He's toast now," Hunter called, as he took hold of his control yokes and pressed the red buttons atop each, breathing crimson fire down on the ooze powered creature. It exploded in a brilliant explosion, even its debris turning to ashes as the Phoenix fire swallowed it completely.

"YAY!" the six of them cheered from the cockpits of their respective zords.

"He was a nasty little shit," Shane mentioned.

"Yeah and I have a feeling he was just the tip of the iceberg…look," Cam called, as they saw a large figure appear before them as the smoke cleared.

"It's a zord…" Tori said.

"It looks like Toxa…" Dustin mentioned. He was right, as they noticed the zord held a likeness to her

"You'll pay for destroying one of my father's zords…" Toxa growled from the cockpit of her zord.

"Yeah, we'll see who pays when we take this up a notch," Hunter said, as a gold and crimson disc appeared on his console.

"You guys got your power spheres?" he called through the comm system. He received confirmations, as each of them received the gold power spheres with their respective colors emblazoned on them.

"Locked and dropped," he heard them call, as he placed his in the slot and turned the handle.

"Locked and dropped. Hurricane Inferno Megazord sequence initiated!" Hunter called, as the transformation began.

"Navy dragon…warrior mode!" Blake called, as his zord folded into the warrior version, reminiscent of the same kind of transformation the red dragon thunder zord had once gone through and looked very similar to the red warrior mode, just now navy and chrome in color. The Lion zords reared back on its haunches, folding into one leg, while the Lion head and attached to the shoulder of the navy dragon warrior. Cam's snow leopard reared back onto its haunches as well, forming the other leg, as the navy dragon warrior's legs slid into the more powerful legs. Tori's dolphin zord slid over the other arm, forming the right arm of the Megazord. The hawk zord docked and formed around the head, its wings giving a helmeted appearance, much like it had when forming the Storm Megazord of old. Finally, Hunter's Phoenix circled and docked, the bodice fazed inside the zord, becoming the cockpit. The head of the Phoenix appeared on the chest of the Megazord, while the wings locked into place on the back. The six of them converged into the main cockpit with Hunter.

"All right…let's see what this baby can do!" Dustin said excitedly. Hunter unsheathed the Phoenix saber and slid it into the slot on his controls to the hilt. A zord sized Phoenix saber shimmered to life in the Megazord's hand, cracking with crimson thunder.

Toxa launched a purple energy beam at them, taking them by surprise and nearly toppling the megazord. She cackled from the cockpit of her zord and launched another, but they were ready this time. The Phoenix wings wrapped around the front of the zord, creating a shield that sent her blast back at her own zord. The ground shook violently, as her zord fell on a building in the warehouse district.

"Oooh…she's gonna be pissed when she gets back up," Shane joked. Hunter smirked.

"Then let's piss her off even more. The Phoenix saber can channel all our elements. Focus yours into the colored panel in front of you," Hunter instructed, as he channeled crimson thunder and fire into the console. The others did the same and the saber glowed with power.

"Hurricane Inferno strike!" they called, as they slashed at Toxa's recovering zord. She growled and ejected, as the zord exploded and she faced them herself in an enlarged form.

"I won't be so easily defeated as my zord was," she hissed, as purple lightning erupted from her fingertips and struck the Megazord.

"Shields down to seventy percent," Cam called.

"Stabilizers are kicking in and auto repair is on," Blake informed, as he checked his controls.

"We have more than enough power to take care of you," Hunter told her, as they saw a Duronian appear atop the flat roof of a tall building near them.

"If you're so confident, then you'll let you friends battle Toxa and you'll face me, Phoenix ranger," he called out. It was General Xerxes. Hunter glared and extracted the Phoenix saber, before sheathing it on his back.

"This console allows the Megazord to use any of our weapons to fight," he said, as Shane left his console and took point.

"We got this. Go take care of the green goblin down there," Shane assured him, as his hawk blaster transformed into sword mode, allowing Shane to slide it into the designated slot. An enlarged version appeared in the Megazord's hand. Briefly, Tori's visor slid open, as she grabbed her love's arm. Hunter's helmet folded back, as their eyes met and she kissed him.

"Be careful," she whispered. He smiled and nodded.

"You too," he replied, as he disappeared into a stream of teleportation and landed atop the building just a few feet away, ready to face Xerxes.

"Prepare to meet your end, crimson ranger," Xerxes stated, as he drew his blade. In a flash, Hunter's helmet enclosed his head once again, as he drew the Phoenix saber from the scabbard on his back.

Hunter disappeared into his Ninja streak, as the clanking and scraping of blades, as he went head to head with the General…


	26. Chapter 25: Break the Clouds

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 25! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the battle scenes

Harry2: Glad you're enjoying. And yes, Masked Rider might be making an appearance. ;)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. More craziness ahead. :)

Skull RiderSP: Yep, more zord battles ahead. And as for the gore, I'm trying to make the battles a little more realistic. Glad you approve. :)

MMPRFansince93: Thanks! So glad you're enjoying the fight scenes. And yep, Malcolm has no idea. Billy definitely has the guts to ruin his life with the push of a button ;)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story!

fallingstar22: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I knew most would love finally seeing Kat stand up to Malcolm. And you're right, she could totally take him out in self defense without violating the ranger code. ;)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story and appreciating the music. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 25: Break the Clouds

_Burns like a fire, if you control it  
Bring down the walls, if you spoke it  
So stand up, don't take it, there's very little time to make it  
Come on, come on, it's our chance_

_Together we can break the clouds  
I wonder if we'll figure it out_

_What we are running from is the truth  
It's the truth  
Our lives are ruined under here  
Under here  
Alright, alright, I'll light the fire inside of me  
Well alright, well alright, we'll light the fire inside of us_

Together we can break the clouds  
I wonder if we'll figure it out

_**Song: Break the Clouds**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**San Angeles**_

_**Private Airstrip **_

"Boss…what do you want us to do now?" one of his men asked, as Malcolm strolled back to his private jet.

"Why don't you do nothing like you did back there with the rangers!" Malcolm spat angrily, as he pushed him away angrily.

"Get me out of this damn place and back to New York," he spat, as he boarded the jet.

"What about the woman and brat?" one of his goons asked.

"A temporary setback, but she won't get away with this for long," he spat, as he took his seat. By the look on their boss' face, they wisely quieted, as the pilot took the plane into the air.

* * *

_**Downtown San Angeles**_

"Hold still…we need to get you back to the base for medical attention," Dax said, as Will lay on the stretcher, with several guardians around him, getting ready to move him.

"_Mack…I've got a lock and I'm bringing you back. I don't think it would be wise for you to join the zord fight this time," _Andrew spoke through his phone.

"Stand by dad," Mack said, as he pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Come with me Rose…" Mack said, as he took her hand. The pink Overdrive ranger looked torn between him and the others.

"You too Ronny…all of you for that matter. We belong with the others. They're good people," Mack reasoned.

"If you haven't noticed Mack, they're wanted fugitives. You can't tell me that you enjoy running all the time and living in isolation," Dax scoffed.

"It's better than taking orders from a rising dictator!" Mack spat back.

"Go crawl back into whatever hole they're hiding in then," Will scoffed.

"Listen Will, it doesn't have to be this way. We should be fighting with the other rangers, not against them. We were all little kids when Jason and Tommy were fighting. They really know what they're doing," Mack argued.

"Then follow them like the starry eyed little rookie ranger we know that you are!" Will snapped.

"No one runs my show and I'm done taking orders from anyone but yours truly," Will spat.

"You nearly got yourself killed tonight! These guys make Flurious look like nothing. We need the other rangers. You all know it's true," Mack argued.

"Get lost Mack or we're going to have to arrest you," Dax warned, as the GAMA guardians were taking notice in his lingering presence.

"Fine..." Mack said dejectedly, as he turned to leave. He felt Rose take his hand and he turned to look at her.

"Take me with you," she whispered. He grinned and hugged her tightly.

"Rose…you're making a huge mistake," Will warned.

"No…my mistake was not standing by Mack all along," she replied.

"Ronny…" Rose called. The girl in yellow looked very torn, as she looked between them.

"Don't do this Ronny…you'll lose everything. Think about your career after all this is over. You turn on us now and you'll never be able to get near a track again," Will warned.

"I think I can live with that…but I can't live with betraying people who came to our aide in our darkest hour. Thrax would have killed us if not for Adam, Kira, Tori, Xander, and Bridge. And that Shark creature would have killed us tonight, if not for Tori's team again," Ronny said, her face set in a deep frown.

"You could have got Hunter killed and he had the chance to take revenge on you tonight…but he didn't and that's the kind of team I belong on," Ronny said, as she took Rose's hand.

"Dax…come with us," Mack urged. The young Asian man looked at them with a bitter expression.

"Save it Mack…I'm not going to join them again so they can treat me like some rookie," Dax spat.

"You'll all regret this," Will added, as the three of them were snatched up by a teleportation beam.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Hunter's muscles burned in protest, as he parried Xerxes' blade.

"You're weak crimson ranger…nothing like your father. I was hoping for a better fight, but I should have known I'd be disappointed in fighting a fledgling like yourself," Xerxes hissed.

"Your Sharkanian friend might disagree with you. I turned him to ash," Hunter retorted, making Xerxes chuckle in amusement.

"Sharkanian's are far weaker than my species. It's not even a comparison," Xerxes boasted.

"Fine…then why don't you stop talking and show me how strong you supposedly are instead of just talking about it," Hunter spat. Xerxes laughed.

"You asked for this, crimson brat," he spat, as he parried Hunter's blade kneed him in the chest, throwing him onto his back.

"Stupid child...this is payback for killing two of my men the other night," Xerxes hissed, as he kicked him in the ribs. Hunter felt a couple snap and he roared in agony, as pain exploded in his chest. Xerxes thrust his blade downward, but Hunter rolled away.

"Thunder shield!" he cried in order to block his assailant momentarily, while he climbed his feet. The pain had started to dull, as his ribs were already healing. He clutched the Phoenix saber and welcomed the fire he felt coursing through his limbs. Xerxes charged with an angry battle cry and Hunter broke out in a sprint to meet him, raising his blade, as Xerxes' weapon came slamming down on his own…

Toxa laughed maniacally, as the Megazord sustained heavy fire and toppled for the third time.

"Damn…this bitch is working us…" Dustin spat, the controls sparked violently, as he tried to touch them.

"Shields are down to forty percent. Let's try something else," Cam suggested, as they manned their controls and the Megazord managed to stand again.

"All right, let me at the bitch," Tori spat, as Shane extracted his weapon. She replaced his with her daggers and the weapons appeared in the hands of the zord. Toxa laughed.

"You really think you can take me on, little girl? Toxa taunted.

"Guess we're about to find out…hag," Tori spat back. Toxa growled and leapt at the Megazord. Tori used the controls to cross her daggers, blocking Toxa's blade between them. Cam maneuvered the leg of the Megazord to kick her in the abdomen, forcing her back. Toxa screamed in rage, launching a purple energy beam. Thinking quickly, Blake maneuvered the wings of the Phoenix to wrap around and shield them. The attack bounced off and struck Toxa. She screamed in pain, as she fell on another building.

"Damn…we are making one hell of a mess," Shane complained.

"Just be grateful that most of these buildings in the business district are empty at night," Cam reminded. Shane sighed. The green ranger was right. The casualty list had this happened during the day would have been catastrophic.

"Dolphin Tidal Wave!" Tori called, as she channeled a water attack through her daggers, blasting Toxa back, before she could recover.

"My turn," Blake said, as Tori extracted her weapons and Blake replaced hers with the Navy Thunder blade.

"Navy Thunder Bolt!" he called, as he struck in the chest. Fire exploded there and her body convulsed violently.

"Don't think for a second that you've won…I'll make you pay for this! All of you!" Toxa screamed, as her size was reduced to normal and she teleported away. The five of them sighed in relief

"_Nice work guys. Billy told me that since your zords basically came here from Phaedos that we need to send them to the old zord bay outside the power chamber in the Angel Grove desert for safekeeping," _a female voice came through the comm of the Megazord.

"_I'm Carly, by the way," _she added.

"Seems like you're taking to all this like a duck to water," Blake mentioned, smiling beneath his helmet.

"_I'll take that as a compliment. Now, if you guys want to go help Hunter, I'll take control and return the zords to the holding bay and begin auto-repairs," _she said.

"You heard the woman. Let's go," Blake said, as they teleported out and to the rooftop, where Hunter was engaged in a furious fight with Xerxes.

Meanwhile, Carly took control and dispatched their zords to return to the old holding bay outside the abandoned power chamber in the Angel Grove desert.

Hunter growled, as Xerxes threw all his weight into him, toppling them both to the ground. The General grabbed the crimson ranger's leg and hurled him across the roof, as he rolled close to the edge. Shane heard Tori gasp and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You won't be helping if you get in the middle of that," Shane warned. She knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

"I know…" she relented.

"He'll be fine. Any wounds he just sustained are already healing," Cam reminded. Unfortunately, as Cam said that, Hunter was thrown off the building.

"HUNTER!" Tori screamed, as he went plummeting toward the ground.

"While he's figuring out how not to break every bone in his body when he lands, I'll eliminate the rest of you. I doubt that should take long," Xerxes hissed, as he charged at them. They sunk into fighting stance and disappeared into their Ninja streak. Unfortunately, cries of pain followed, as the alien General dealt them vicious blows with his extraordinary strength.

"Dammit…this is going to hurt," Hunter growled, as he tried slowing his fall by flipping through the air. But it wasn't helping a lot, so he started fumbling with the grappling cable on his belt.

"_Forget the grappling cable," _he heard his Uncle say over the comm in his helmet.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm falling and about to make a mess of myself on the concrete," Hunter spat in return.

"_You're the Phoenix," _Zedd replied simply.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Hunter retorted. He could almost see his Uncle rolling his eyes.

"_Did I forget to mention that you have wings? Gold button on your utility belt," _Zedd instructed.

"Uh yeah…it would have been nice to know that before now!" Hunter yelled, as he hit the button. A jet pack-like looking device appeared on his back and mechanical crimson wings, lined in gold, unfolded from the device and he ascended into the air, landing on the rooftop again, only to see his friends being thrown around like ragdolls. His heart nearly leapt in his throat, as he saw Xerxes backhand Tori, the force of his blow, throwing her off the building.

"No…" he cried, as the General stood in his way.

"Go…we'll take care of him," Shane said, as he launched an air beam. Dustin followed with an earth beam, Blake with a navy thunder beam, and Cam with an ice beam. Hunter propelled into the air, just as Xerxes angrily broke through their attacks and slammed his fist into Dustin's stomach. The force sent the yellow earth ninja flying onto his back. Cam was next, as the wind was knocked from the samurai and he doubled over in pain. Blake slammed his thunder blade down against Xerxes' blade, but the Duronian shoved him away and kicked him down.

"Battelizer!" Shane called, as he activated his armor and the hawk wings attached to his back. Shane launched the massive battle blast and Xerxes met it with his own. The beams clashed and each fought for control.

Hunter spiraled downward after Tori, who was trying to slow herself by flipping.

"TORI!" he called. She looked up and extended her arm toward his. He grabbed her hand when he got close enough and then swept her into his arms, before sweeping through the air and changing directions.

"Nice catch," she said breathlessly, as she clung to him. Their visors opened and they smiled at each other.

"I have a feeling I'm going to like flying, especially if we get to do this together," he told her. She smiled.

"Well, after we pulverize the asshole that pushed me off the roof, you can take us on a little ride, flyboy," she replied, as they landed on the roof and their visors closed.

Dustin and Cam launched an earth and ice beam to join Shane's. Navy thunder sizzled to life in Blake's fingertips, as he added his own beam. Tori smirked and took her place beside Dustin, adding her water beam, while Hunter parted their team at the center. Crimson thunder sizzled to life on one hand and crimson fire on the other. Xerxes roared in disbelief, as he felt his blast being swallowed by the six Ninjas before him.

"Dude is toast," Dustin said.

"No…NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Xerxes screamed.

"We have a saying here on Earth!" Blake shouted.

"What goes around comes around," Cam finished for him.

"You really thought you could just murder countless people and no one would ever rise up to stop you?" Tori asked rhetorically. His eyes bled purple with his blood seeping from them, thanks to the erosion of his internal organs that was happening.

"You will all die…my Master will kill you all!" he shouted, as blood leaked from his mouth.

"No…he and the rest of his army are next," Shane assured him.

"I'm going to make your Master regret the day he ever heard of Earth and you're now going to pay for everyone you've ever murdered in cold blood," Hunter stated, as the crimson fire intensified and swallowed him completely. There was a brief, deafening howl of agony, before it quickly died. And the ashes that remained of Xerxes disintegrated before they could touch the ground. The six of them sighed in relief.

"Ninja form," Hunter said, as their morph was cancelled and they returned to their ninja uniforms.

"_Prepare for teleportation," _Zedd called to them through the comm, just as they saw government helicopters fly overhead, with search lights surveying the damage.

"We're ready," Hunter replied, as they disappeared in six streaks of color.

* * *

_**San Angeles**_

Jason gripped the control yokes inside the cockpit of the Brachio zord. It had in fact been thirteen years since he had been in the cockpit of a zord, but the experience came rushing back to him like it had only been yesterday that he was leading his team into battle with colossal vehicles armed with firepower that no one on Earth had ever seen. He fired expertly at several of the crafts that managed to get by their aerial zords and debris rained down around him. This level was a step up from what they had faced in their teen years, but he was starting to understand now. Zordon knew something like this might come, no matter what he had done during his life to stop it.

He knew now that they weren't just randomly chosen that day that Rita's dumpster was opened. He used to believe that he and his friends were just in the right place at the right time, but as time went on, he knew this was his destiny. At sixteen, that had actually frightened him more than he would ever let on and largely led to his decision to accept the invitation to the Peace Conference in Geneva. He didn't regret his time there, because he and Trini had formed a lifelong, lasting relationship and discovered how deep their feelings for each other really were during those years.

But Jason's frustration with the whole process in Geneva had been evident from almost day one. He was a man of action. He was destined to be on the front lines, staring evil in the face and physically doing everything in his power to stop that evil. Sitting around with other teens and discussing what should be done had frustrated him to no end. Sure, they had done a lot of good, traveled and seen the entire world, and did small things that really did help people, albeit on a much smaller scale. His time at the Peace Conference made him realize where he belonged and he accepted that his destiny was to be a ranger and on the front lines, staring evil in the face.

That's why he returned to take the Gold powers when Tommy hand contacted him in a heartbeat. When he lost the powers, he felt like he had lost himself for a while, that maybe he wasn't meant to be championing the fight against evils like Divatox and Dark Spector. He especially felt that when the others passed the Turbo powers on. That seemed to be it. They had to move on to lead normal lives. But Jason knew he would never be normal.

Shortly after graduating high school and moving to Washington D.C., where Trini was going to medical school, he considered many fields of study. He almost immediately eliminated the possibility of pursuing politics. He had his fill of that during the Peace Conference and how ineffective the whole process could be. He was heavily considering the military, either the Navy or the Marines. Jason knew he could physically handle the undertaking. There was nothing like being a ranger to prepare you for something like that.

But before he enlisted, Trini had pushed him to attend a lecture at a local career fair. He had rolled his eyes and went on that morning about wanting to truly help people and save lives on a large scale level. He thought the career fare would be a waste of time.

But at the career fair that morning, everything had changed when he listened to the FBI presenters. It was that afternoon that he applied to the Police Academy and once he had his badge, he quickly ascended in the ranks. It was only a couple years later that he felt he had earned the credentials needed and applied to the FBI. Jason's fast track from beat cop to lead detective on the force had impressed the FBI, or so he thought at the time, when they recruited him.

Now he wondered if they had only let him in to keep tabs on him, because they knew about his past as a ranger. He knew it didn't matter now and as Trini had pointed out a dozen times, no one, especially not the FBI, could ever argue that his skills were nothing short of exceptional. He was now where he truly belonged again.

He took out several more, as Kat's stegosaurus shot purple laser blasts from the spiked tail and Trini's ankylosaurus roared, and fired silver energy blasts, striking several as well.

* * *

A couple of the aerial crafts slipped past Tommy and Kim, but Adam was ready, as the Frog zord's tongue wrapped around one and tossed it to the ground. It slid along the ground, sparking violently. Rocky's Ape zord trampled on it, before it burst into flames and the Ape zord pounded on its metal chest with its fists.

"Is that really necessary?" Adam asked his best friend.

"Is it necessary for your zord to whip its tongue all over everything?" Rocky retorted playfully.

"It is, cause I can do this," Adam answered, as the frog tongue lit on fire and the enemy fighter exploded.

"Nice," Rocky said, as they saw the wolf zord join then in a sprint, firing blue lasers at their enemies.

"Please tell me you scared that douchebag enough that he crapped his pants," Rocky called over to Billy in referral to Kat's ex-husband. The blue ranger smirked beneath his helmet.

"I did threaten to hack into his accounts and make his money disappear if he didn't stay away from Kat," Billy promised.

"You should definitely do that," Rocky said, as he grabbed another fighter and smashed it into the ground.

"Hey Tom, how's the sky looking?" Billy asked.

"They're starting to thin out. Jason and the others are running the perimeter of the city just to make sure," Tommy replied. Sure enough, the fighters soon stopped coming and they finished the remaining ones.

"What the hell was the point of all that?" Conner asked.

"Another one of Ivan's sick games. He wanted to see how we would handle a full scale invasion on a citywide level," Tommy replied.

"Which means he could be planning a planet wide invasion in the future. We need to be on our toes," Jason warned.

"_I agree, but for now, I'll be teleporting you all back and the zords to the holding bay," _came Hayley's voice through the comm.

"Thanks Hayley, I think we're all about ready to drop," Billy said, exhaustion in his voice.

"I never thought I'd long for the days where most of our battles usually lasted about two hours. This six hour crap sucks," Adam groaned.

"I know…I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," Rocky said, rubbing his stomach.

"That's not really new, but I could definitely eat," Adam replied.

_Standby for teleportation in three," _Hayley warned. The ranger disappeared from the cockpits of their zords and Hayley took control of the zord autopilot commands to return them to the zord holding bay.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?" Dax asked the doctors, as they treated Will's injuries.

"We've assessed his injuries and were able to stop the internal bleeding without surgery. He is very lucky. A couple more hits and he would be fighting for his life on the operating table right now," the doctor reported.

"Fine…thanks Doc," Will said, as he started to get up. But the doctor stopped him.

"Sorry Mr. Aston, but we're keeping you here in the med ward overnight for observation," the doctor said. Will snorted in annoyance, as General Gorbin waltzed in.

"That was a very poor showing out there, Gentlemen," Gorbin said, as he approached.

"We underestimated those goons, it won't happen again," Will assured.

"I hope not, though it seems you're missing a couple teammates now," Gorbin mentioned.

"The girls ran scared back to Mack, but we don't need them. What we need are better zords. I can't keep up with crimson boy when he's the one with all the toys and gear," Will demanded.

"Fortunately, I'm working on the zord problem…or rather I have someone working on it. It's time to add more to your arsenal as well. I will expect better results next time, Gentlemen," Gorbin said, as he left quickly.

"Dammit…" Dax spat.

"What's with you?" Will asked.

"What are we doing Will? There are two of us and a band of glorified cops!" Dax hissed.

"Don't tell me you're going to bail on me too," Will hissed back.

"I don't want to, but we got our asses handed to us, while Hunter took out that Sharkanian without breaking a sweat! You're living in a fantasy if you think the two of us alone have a chance against Ivan Ooze's army, let alone the big purple guy himself," Dax reasoned.

"Gorbin wasn't kidding when he said he was going to outfit us with the latest gear and technology. The next battle will be different, trust me," Will promised.

"It better be or we might not survive it," Dax replied…

* * *

_The battle is over for now and the rangers deal with their emotions in the aftermath of battle, many taking solace in each other. _


	27. Chapter 26: Make You Feel My Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 26! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. As for Will and Dax, yes, they are being very bullheaded. As for them coming around, only time will tell. :)

RHatch89: Yeah, I agree, their egos are in the way and they're missing the point. It may seem like I'm picking on Overdrive, but I just see some very exploitable character weaknesses in those two and I used them in this story. Will is a spy, used to working alone, and if we're talking real spies here, then he's not always going to be honest, ranger or not. As for Dax, he wants to be famous and it's clouding his judgement. But yep, they are rookies. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Harry2: Yes, there will be a slow build to a Blake/Carly romance. As for Will and Dax, they'll have to hit rock bottom, before they see the light so to speak. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

MMPRFansince93: Yep, Hunter's powers are pretty slammin'. Glad you liked the Jason bit. I was proud of it too. Lots of various couple stuff coming up in the next few chapters. Enjoy!

fallingstar22: Yeah, they showed Ivan for now. As for Will and Dax, they'll probably live in deluded land for a while longer until they hit rock bottom. As for Billy's dad, we will soon see the continuation of that story line, but I'm adding a new dimension to that one in this chapter. You'll understand as you read. Enjoy! :)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yep, they'll get Dex, but Ivan is coming up with zeroes on Earth so far. The rest of the galaxy...not so much. Enjoy. :)

garnetred: Unfortunately, I'm throwing in a new dimension that might change things on the tech specs aspect of the story. Things might get a little more complicated. Glad you're enjoying the story!

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you liked it, including the Jason bit. I was proud of that scene too. More romance coming. Billy/Kat will be coming along pretty slowly though. They're both pretty wounded and Cestria's only been dead for a few days, despite the fact that we're 26 chapters in. But they will eventually find their way to each other. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 26: Make You Feel My Love

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
And the whole world is on your case,  
I could offer you a warm embrace  
To make you feel my love._

When the evening shadows and the stars appear,  
And there is no one there to dry your tears,  
I could hold you for a million years  
To make you feel my love.

_The storms are raging on the rolling sea  
And on the highway of regret.  
Though winds of change are blowing wild and free,  
You ain't seen nothing like me yet._

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.  
Nothing that I wouldn't do.  
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,  
To make you feel my love  
To make you feel my love

_**Song: Make You Feel My Love**_

_**Cover Artist (one of many) and version I used: Adele**_

_**Original Artist: Bob Dylan**_

Peter Hanson observed the battle in Blue Bay Harbor that had occurred just a few hours ago. Their zords were technological wonders and in many ways, far beyond anything he would ever be able to construct. However, he believed that his creations would serve the GAMA guardians and two remaining Overdrive rangers well.

If someone had told him that he would be doing this when Gorbin recruited him years ago, he would have thought the person belonged in a psych ward. How this had started and how it had ended up was not what he signed on for. But Gorbin and his entourage had never been completely honest with him until it was too late.

At the time, the thought of being allowed to work with alien technology had been so exciting and consuming that he had agreed to leave his family behind for what he believed to be the greater good. In reality, what he had done was abandoned his sweet baby girl and handed an evil man like Gorbin colossal vehicles capable of not only combatting evil, but the zords belonging to the power rangers as well. He remembered the day he had decided to take this path and only wished he knew what he knew now…

_Flashback…_

_1995_

_NASADA Space Port_

"_Welcome ladies and gentlemen, I am honored that great minds like you have accepted my invitation to this most exciting, but secret endeavor. I will dispense with the pleasantries and ask that you all understand the extremities of the affidavit you signed before coming here today," a younger General Gorbin, head of the very new government operation known as GAMA. The Global Alien Monitoring Alliance was in its infancy, but they knew far more than Peter realized at the time. _

"_What you are about to see can never be spoken of, even if you decide not to accept the offer we have made to each of you," Gorbin said, as they were led further into the compound and to a large holding bay where the ruin and debris of the power rangers thunder zords lay in a chaotic strewn._

"_How…did you get these?" one scientist asked in disbelief. _

"_We wouldn't have had the power rangers not been gone for nearly a day after the destruction of these zords, we probably wouldn't have been able to acquire them. When the rangers returned, they were somehow back to full power and would have likely taken care of the wreckage. Fortunately, we seized the opportunity and salvaged the wreckage so it can be studied," Gorbin explained._

"_And what exactly do you hope to gain from studying these zords?" Peter voiced. Gorbin smirked._

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, we have salvaged the Megazord's internal communication system and have discovered the identities of the rangers, due to their careless usage of first names. We took that and combined it with voice recognition software. It was a huge task just to run every citizen in Angel Grove through. We never imagined that we would get lucky enough to find that the rangers are not only human, but do reside in Angel Grove. In these folders we are passing out are the identities of the first five rangers, the green ranger, who is subsequently also the white ranger, and the three who have recently replaced the yellow, black, and red rangers," Gorbin explained._

"_These…are teenagers…" one woman said in disbelief. _

"_What the hell…" another man said in equal disbelief. It was a hard pill to swallow. Teenagers were reckless, hormonal, and didn't always make good decisions. Yet they had six parading around the city with super human powers, fighting dangerous aliens, and very nearly getting themselves killed on a daily basis._

"_Surely their parents don't know. What parent in their right mind would condone this?" the woman next to him asked._

"_No, we don't believe the parents have any idea at all. Our theory is that a being not of this world has entrusted these kids with these powers, no doubt some lunatic or psychopath with an agenda of his own," Gorbin explained._

"_What are you planning to do about this?" Peter asked._

"_At this point, with the powers they wield, we are not in a position to confront them. Teenagers can rarely be reasoned with so I doubt they would see things our way and realize the mortal danger they are in. It is likely that the person that gave them these abilities is seen as a mentor of some sort as well. Their loyalty will be to that person, no doubt," Gorbin stated._

"_So what do we do?" another man asked._

"_That's why I have called you here. You are some of this country's brightest scientists and engineers. If you work for us, you will study this technology and attempt to replicate it. So far the power rangers have succeeded in protecting us from alien invasion, but can we really rest the fate of our world on the shoulders of children?" Gorbin questioned._

"_This should be our fight and with your help, we can make it our fight and protect our children…even if it is from themselves," Gorbin preached. Not one person in that room had turned down the offer that day._

_End Flashback_

Peter recalled that day with a new clarity that he had only recently seen when all the ranger's identities were revealed to the public. He had been working for years to supposedly protect the planet from alien invasions, to make it unnecessary for kids to assume the roles as their protectors and take matters into the hands of the adults. He had left his beautiful little girl behind, basically to fend for herself, for he knew how unstable his ex-wife was and how his leaving had only sent her into a downward spiral. But he believed that he was doing so for the greater good, that someday, Victoria would understand why he left. He had been a complete and utter fool

For years now, Gorbin had failed to mention that his own little girl was a ranger, a part of a secret ninja school, leading a dangerous double life. He knew that if he revealed that he was still alive to her and the real reason he had left, she would not only be devastated, but she would probably want nothing to do with him. He glanced at the picture on his phone of his grown daughter. He had acquired the photo from the internet, because the most recent photo he himself owned was nearly eight years old. Gone was his little girl and in her place was a woman he barely knew. And he had no one to blame other than himself…and Gorbin maybe.

"Dr. Frakes tells me that everything is operational," Gorbin said, as he entered the hanger bay.

"They'll do what you want, but we merely replicated the technology. I've seen the new zords the rangers are using and those are the real deal," Peter warned.

"But it will show the rangers that there is some bark to our bite," Gorbin replied.

"I would have never helped you if I knew that you failed to tell me that my own daughter was one of them…but then you knew that, didn't you?" Peter asked. Gorbin smirked.

"I had no way of knowing back in '95 that your little girl would get mixed up with the wrong people and I didn't tell you in '03 that she had become one, because I couldn't afford to have you distracted from the project," Gorbin stated.

"Your little project will guarantee that my daughter will never forgive me!" Peter exclaimed.

"Nothing is stopping you from contacting her and talking to her, though you'll probably have to endure her bringing along her alien boyfriend. Just keep in mind that if you were to violate the terms of the affidavit you signed, then you would be charged with treason," Gorbin stated. Peter scoffed.

"But I'm not a cruel man, Mr. Hanson. Even though your daughter is a wanted woman, I would not interfere if you did happen to run into her, perhaps when she checks on her mother," Gorbin suggested idly, as he left the engineer to muddle through his thoughts.

"Tor…I'm fine…" Hunter protested. Tori huffed.

"I know that goon broke your ribs and now you're going to let Trini look at you," Tori argued.

"I've already healed so there's really no need," Hunter argued back, as his Uncle casually smacked him in the chest with the back of his hand.

"Ouch…what was that for?" Hunter grumbled.

"If that hurt, then your ribs aren't healing correctly," Zedd replied, as Trini came over and gingerly placed her hands on the right side of his ribcage. She prodded her fingers in key places and Hunter tried not to hiss in pain.

"He's right and if you don't let me reset and tape them now, they'll heal wrong and we'll have re-break them. I don't think have to tell you how painful that will be," Trini said. Hunter paled a little and followed Trini and Tori to the med wing.

"The zords are all on auto repair and any manual repairs they need can probably wait until morning," Billy said, as he checked Carly and Hayley's work.

"These zords are amazing, even more so than any of the old ones," Carly said. Billy looked at her skeptically.

"And how do you know about any of the zords?" Billy asked. She smiled sweetly.

"Uncle Alan let me look at some of the blueprints you left behind when you went to Aquitar," she replied.

"In other words, you sneaked them out of his office when he wasn't looking," Billy said knowingly. She shrugged innocently.

"Maybe," she said coyly.

"Hey guys…I heard the others cooked us a mountain of food so head upstairs when you're ready," Blake said, as he poked his head in.

"Hi Blake…I don't think I got a chance to thank you earlier for saving my skin from those goons," Carly said, smiling at him. He smiled back shyly and rubbed the back of his head.

"No worries…you wanna go get something to eat?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"Sure," she replied, as she followed him. Hayley and Billy chuckled as they left and smiled.

"Kids," Hayley joked. Billy nodded.

"They have the right idea though. I think everything will be fine here for tonight. I'm going to go check on Trina and get something to eat," Billy said. Hayley nodded.

"Good night Billy," she replied, as she proceeded upstairs a few minutes after him.

As they returned from the long, harrowing battle, they were pleasantly surprised to see that Alpha and the other inactive rangers had hot food ready for them. They had graciously thanked Alpha, Alyssa, and the others, before diving into the food. But while most of them slowed down, Rocky and Hunter kept eating their way through the mounds of food, much to Zedd's amusement. They expected this from Rocky, but none of them had ever seen Hunter put away this much food.

"Dude…I'm tapping out. You win," Rocky said, as he finally sat back and patted his full stomach.

"I don't get it. I've never been so hungry," Hunter said, himself amazed by how much he had eaten.

"It's your element. It has caused your already supercharged metabolism to go into overdrive. And it burns off anything you eat or drink three times as fast as it did before your fire was awakened," Zedd explained. Tori rolled her eyes.

"Like I didn't have enough trouble keeping him fed before," she complained. Jason and Tommy looked amused.

"So what you're saying is that it would be hard to get him drunk?" Jason whispered, careful that Tori didn't hear. Tommy chuckled, as Zedd cast a sideways glance at them.

"Yes I suppose, not impossible though, but if you're going to test your theory, I wouldn't let Dulcea find out if you value your health…or Tori for that matter," Zedd whispered back. Jason snickered.

"It's a red tradition to get the rookies drunk off their asses. We just haven't had time to test it out with Shane, Hunter, and Conner. Mack's an android so that's just no fun, but I remember when we got jungle boy drunk after the red mission to the moon. That was hilarious," Jason laughed.

"I thought we agreed to never speak of that night," Cole hissed, overhearing their conversation.

"You begged us never to speak of it. We didn't agree to anything," Tommy jabbed. Cole sighed.

"At least I'm not on the receiving end this time," Cole said, relief in his voice.

"Round up every drop of booze you can find in this place. Tomorrow night, after training, we test our theory. Conner will probably be gone after two beers, but Hunter and Shane should be interesting," Jason chuckled.

"And what do we tell the girls? I've seen an angry ranger female before. It literally will scare years off your life," Cole said in a serious tone that made Tommy and Jason crack up.

"We'll just tell them we're going to have a little guy time, team bonding stuff. They'll be more than happy to do a girls night themselves," Tommy reasoned. Zedd shook his head in amusement.

"If Dulcea finds out my part in this, she'll turn me into a toad," Zedd feared.

"So you'll be there?" Jason asked. Zedd grinned.

"And miss my nephew's gloriously embarrassing official initiation in the red club?" Zedd prompted with a smirk.

"I wouldn't miss that for the world," he said.

Prince Dex coughed violently, as the red space ranger dragged him across the ruined landscape of his once beautiful, life filled planet. It had been years since he killed Count Dregon and his planet had once again flourished during an era of great peace. But now, blasts from Sharkanian piloted crafts peppered the landscape, Burlots roamed the cities, brutally murdering his people, while the Duronian General, Marlott, hunted him on Lord Ooze's orders.

Andros blasted Marlott back with his spiral saber, but the Duronian barely felt the attack, as he dragged the prince up the ramp.

"Zhane…get us out of here!" Andros called, as Karone helped him with the injured Masked Rider. Once they safely made it away from the planet and into hyperspace, the red ranger started checking Dex's injured arm.

"We need to get these burns treated," Andros told the other young man, who was nearly catatonic. He had lost not only the masked rider powers, which Marlott had destroyed during Dex's battle with him, but his entire race was lost now as well.

"What is the point?" Dex asked sadly.

"The point is you'll get infection if we don't," Andros replied.

"It doesn't matter. We escaped, but they'll still get us," Dex replied.

"Maybe not…if we can find a way to make it Earth," Andros said.

"Being a power ranger didn't do Prince Trey or the Aquitians much good either," Dex replied bitterly.

"Yes, except Earth is now protected by the Phoenix ranger, or so I've heard, Tommy and many other former rangers have had their powers restored as well," Andros explained.

"The Phoenix ranger has been dead for thousands of years," Dex refuted, knowing of the legends.

"Yes, but the son of Zander and Dulcea lives," Karone explained.

"How is that even possible?" Dex asked.

"We're not exactly sure, but I'm positive Dulcea herself will explain it to us once we reach Phaedos in a few hours," Andros replied.

"But how does going to Phaedos help us get to Earth?" Dex asked.

"I'm almost positive that if we can reach Phaedos that the Earth rangers can teleport us from there," Andros explained, as they ushered the prince of Edenoi to the med deck to treat his injuries.

He kissed her deeply, his lips dueling with hers, as he slowly trailed hungry kisses down her neck. She combed her fingers through his messy, dirty blonde colored hair and their skin glistened in the afterglow of lovemaking. They were still blissfully connected and their limbs tangled beneath the mass of bedclothes. Their breathing slowly returned to normal and he rolled onto his back bringing her atop him, as their lips continued to meet in sensual kisses. She smiled at him, her sapphire eyes filled with love and gazing back into his own love and desire filled silvery blue stare.

"I love you," Hunter whispered. She gently pressed her lips to his.

"I love you too," Tori replied, as she rested her head against his chest.

"Are you going to Phaedos in the morning?" she asked. He nodded and kissed her hair.

"Yes, but I'd really like to take you with me this time," he replied. She smiled brightly at him.

"I would really like that too," she said, as their lips met again, before she settled down on her pillow and relished the feeling of her beloved spooning her against his warm, muscled body. She was asleep in his arms within moments and he was not far behind her.

Tanya tiptoed out of her room in the dark hallway, hoping she would not be seen. Most were in bed, but those of them that were single were still congregated down in the rec room.

"Oh good T, I was hoping you weren't asleep yet," Kim said, as she met her outside the room they were sharing.

"Let me guess, you want me to find somewhere else to sleep tonight, because a certain white ranger is about to sneak into your room," Tanya whispered. Kimberly looked at her guiltily and Tanya chuckled.

"No worries girl, I was actually on my way to Adam's room to kick your boyfriend out," Tanya admitted. Kim smiled.

"Really?" she asked. The girl in green nodded.

"Yep, I'm about to make a certain froggie very nervous, but very happy," Tanya said. Kimberly giggled.

"I'm no better since I'm about to get me some rainbow ranger," Kimberly replied, causing Tanya to stifle her giggles.

"Happy hunting," Tanya said, as she tiptoed off, promising to send Tommy her way, while she took residence in Adam's room.

"Edenoi is yours, My Lord," Xinshing stated, as he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, General Xin. You are far more capable than my own daughter and your brother so it seems," Ivan complimented.

"Yes…My Lord, I request that you please allow me to make the crimson ranger pay for killing my brother," Xin said fiercely.

"Patience General, I understand your anger with the Phoenix ranger, but we are far from finished with him. I promise that you'll have your chance to torture him to within an inch of his life soon," Ivan promised.

"Forgive me for being impatient Master, but when will you allow me to strike?" Xin asked.

"I will let you know. But to tame your anger, you can go oversee the training of your men and my daughter. Her performance thus far in battle has been quite the disappointment," Ivan ordered.

"Yes My Lord," Xin obeyed.

"And here is where all us lonely singles congregate after all the couples go to bed to do things I'd rather not think about," Blake joked, as he showed Carly into the rec room. Shane was using the game system and motion board to virtually skateboard on the big screen TV. Trent was in the corner with his sketchbook. Ethan was playing a game on his laptop. Kapri was filing her nails and Kelly was watching Shane, while Cam and Hayley were nearby, quietly talking.

"This place is amazing, thanks for showing me around," she replied. After eating and meeting her little cousin, Carly had taken the grand tour, while the kids were put to bed and most everyone else went to bed after a long day.

"How does Shane have the energy to fake skateboard after the battle you guys went through?" Carly wondered.

"No idea…I'm almost dead on my feet, but it's kind of something we all go through after a battle," Blake replied, as he sat down.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, when we morph, it's like a huge adrenaline rush and once we power down, it takes a while to come down from the power high. So while we're dead on our feet, at the same time, we're all kind of wired too," Blake tried to explain. Cam and Shane snickered.

"Dude, you're making us all sound like addicts," Shane joked. Carly smiled.

"Billy kind of told me about it. He said he went through power withdraw when the power coins were destroyed," Carly replied. Blake nodded.

"So you can understand why I'm not upstairs yet. I don't want to be scarred by all the noises. There was WAY too much of that when I was on tour with Factory Blue," Blake said. The others snickered again.

"I'm pretty sure the rooms are all soundproofed," Cam replied.

"Are you sure?" Blake asked skeptically. Shane hopped off the virtual board so someone else could have a turn.

"Positive, because I somehow got a room sandwiched in between Dustin and Marah's room and your brother and Tori's. I haven't heard a thing, so I think you're safe," Shane said, with a chuckle.

"You want to try skateboarding, Carly?" Shane asked.

"Not my thing really. What else do you have?" she asked.

"Pretty much any virtual sport you can imagine and a bunch of dance party ones," Shane said crinkling his nose.

"Oh, I love those dance things. I used to rock the one at the arcade back home," Carly said, as she jumped up and put the game in.

"Anyone want to partner up?" she asked.

"I have two left feet when it comes to dancing," Cam admitted.

"It's more fun with two people," she said, her eyes pleading, seemingly with Blake in particular. He smirked.

"Sounds fun. Hope you can keep up, Carls. I've been known to light a few dance floors on fire," Blake bragged, causing Shane, Cam, Ethan, and Trent to all suddenly groan and erupt into fake coughing fits.

"Watch and learn, haters," Blake said, as the music started. He smiled at Carly, as they started following the movements on the screen.

_The red ranger dropped to his knees, observing the devastation around him. Another battle…another city in ruins…thousands slaughtered again. He recognized the city, or what was left of it, as his home. Reefside was no more and he felt bile in his throat, as he saw a child among the ruins, far more still than a child should be, clutching a stuffed animal, eyes open, frozen in terror of her last moments. A sob racked his shoulders, as he gently closed her tiny eyes. _

"_Kira…" he cried, looking around in vain for his love._

"_KIRA!" he screamed._

"Conner…Con, wake up…" Kira pleaded, as she tried to shake her boyfriend awake. His eyes suddenly opened and he sat up with a start, taking deep breaths of air into his starved lungs. Kira clutched the sheet around her unclothed body and gently ran her hand along his back in a comforting caress.

"Kira…" he breathed.

"I'm here," she assured him. He surprised her by crushing her against his chest and hugging her tightly.

"It was just a nightmare, baby…" she whispered, as she felt his breathing slowly return to normal.

"It just felt so real…" he whispered. She gently brushed his chocolate bangs away from his eyes and kissed him tenderly.

"I'm here…I'm not going anywhere…" she promised.

"But…in my nightmare…" he started, but she cut him off by kissing him again.

"It was just a nightmare," she reassured him.

"I just…don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he whispered, as he gently kissed her neck.

"Not going to happen," she whispered back, as her body tingled in sensation that Conner was creating with his ministrations.

"I love you so much…" Conner whispered.

"I love you too," Kira responded, as they became aware of nothing else except each other.

Marah moaned sleepily, as awareness slowly roused her. It was the middle of the night, but she noticed a small light in the room that was accompanied by a rustling sound. The warmth of her boyfriend's body was gone and she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"Dustin…what are you doing?" she asked, as she turned the lamp on, only to find him, clad in only a pair of yellow plaid boxers, digging through his dresser drawers with a flashlight.

"What are you looking for? And at two in the morning no less?" she asked with a yawn.

"Something…damn it, I know it's here. I think I'm losing it," Dustin complained. She smirked.

"Yeah, because you should be sleeping. Didn't I wear you out enough?" she asked slyly. He chuckled.

"Yeah, but I just have to find something and I didn't want to wait until morning," Dustin replied.

"What's so important that it can't wait until morning?" she asked.

"It probably can, but I don't want to and I was trying to find it earlier…then I got distracted," he said, tossing a sly look back at her.

"By me?" she asked innocently. He smirked.

"I love you, but the feigning innocence thing is so not you," Dustin joked. He felt a pillow smack him in the head.

"Whatever you are looking for better be good, Waldo," she warned. He smirked.

"It is and don't call me that, you know I hate it," he pleaded, as he found the shiny object in the pants he wore yesterday.

"Got it," he said, as he showed her the trinket in his palm.

"Dustin…what is that?" she asked.

"It's ring," he replied.

"I know that! But…I mean, when?" she stammered.

"I bought it before this whole mess started and this isn't how I wanted to do this, but I guess we have to deal with the hand we've been dealt," Dustin stated.

"With everything going on, it's made me realize even more that we have to live every day to the fullest and I want to do that with you by my side. I don't want to wait for the right time, because I think that time is now," Dustin continued. Tears slipped down Marah's cheeks.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes…" she sobbed, as she started wiping her tears. Dustin grinned and hugged her tightly.

"I love you so much…I'm so lucky that you could love me after everything I've done," Marah sniffled.

"That's all in the past and you've more than redeemed yourself. I love you and that's all that matters now," he replied, as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger.


	28. Chapter 27: Afterglow

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 27! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yes, it will be epic. Unfortunately, it will happen likely in the next chapter. Hope you still enjoy this chapter though. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story! :)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Enjoy this next installment!

Skull RiderSP: Thanks, glad you like that plotline. But no VR Troopers and Beetleborgs will not be included. I didn't get into those shows.

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you liked the romance. There is a bit more in the chapter. Enjoy!

fallingstar22: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the Dustin/Marah bit. As for Andros and the others arriving on Phaedos at the same time, we shall see. ;)

Yep, Tori will eventually find out about her dad, but it might not be a happy reunion. She will be angry with him for leaving and he doesn't like the fact that she's a ranger so there might be a bumpy ride ahead. ;)

Nosside: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter. I know what you mean, I hate fillers too. That's why I do my best to make the filler stuff interesting, since I've found that sometimes filler chapters are a necessary evil. ;)

MMPRFansince93: Thanks, glad you enjoyed everything! Yeah, Tori's dad is not dead and I see you caught the hint I dropped earlier in the story. As I said above to another reviewer, Tori and her dad's relationship may be bumpy when she finds out. Enjoy this next chapter!

Guest: To answer your question, "will there be an evil ranger?" Probably not. I'm not a huge fan of the evil ranger thing. It's way overdone in my opinion and I try to come up with plotlines and themes that I don't see a lot or at the very least put my own spin on a familiar plotline. That's why I've chosen to take the route I have with Overdrive. Will and Dax are not evil, far from it, but they're making bad choices. It's more human and more realistic, in my opinion. So no, there will probably not be an evil ranger and if there was, it probably wouldn't be Blake. ;)

XoxMountainGirlxoX: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for Blake and Carly, yes, I'm edging toward a pairing with them. I thought it was interesting to put Blake with a well done OC. I always see Hunter put with an OC, some good, some not so good, and while I enjoy the good ones, I like putting him with Tori and seeing Blake branch out a little. Hope you continue to enjoy. :)

Harry2: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :)

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. And you're right, it's not foolproof and their new zords are far superior to what the Thunderzords were. But they have stripped the technology from the remains of those zords. As for what they came up with, that remains to be seen. I haven't even decided myself if their zords will be a threat or a minor hinderance. Stay tuned. ;)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 27: Afterglow

_Just like the summers when we always knew  
I would come back to you  
And tell you all my fears are real_

You're my afterglow  
I know I can't let  
You're my afterglow  
I can't let you go

_Kiss me baby_  
_I'm crazy for you_  
_Kiss me baby_  
_I'm crazy for you_

_So many times I've had your smile_  
_Split my heart in two_  
_You didn't have a clue, did you?_

_**Song: Afterglow**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

Adam turned away from the light that was slowly peeking through the curtains in his bedroom. He rolled over and smiled at the beauty lying beside him. He couldn't help the cheesy grin that eclipsed his face, as he thought about the events last night.

* * *

_Adam wrapped a towel around his waist, after finishing his shower, and heard the door to the room open and shut in the other room. Thinking it was just his roommate, he thought nothing of walking out into the room dressed or undressed as he was. He stood frozen in his tracks though, as he found Tanya waiting for him with a sly grin that made him both nervous and excited. _

"_Oh, hey T," he said, suddenly very aware that he was wearing only a towel, a fact which Tanya seemed to be appreciating. _

"_Looks like I got here just in time," she replied, as she slowly approached and let her hands explore his bare, shredded torso. Teaching Martial Arts for a living had kept Adam Park in top physical form. _

_His senses were instantly filled with her beautiful face, her perfect cocoa skin, and all her womanly curves. She snaked her arms around his neck and their lips were pressed together before he could even register what was happening. How he loved kissing her. Kissing any other woman he had ever kissed had always paled in comparison to the way he felt when kissing his Tanya. He suddenly and unfortunately remembered that he didn't share this room alone though._

"_Uh…Tommy will probably be back soon," he said regrettably, as he parted his lips from hers. She giggled and noticed that his towel was doing little to hide how worked up she had him already. _

"_Tommy is not coming back here tonight, as a certain Crane is probably getting him as hot and bothered right now as I'm getting you apparently," she replied with a smirk. Adam blushed and cursed his body. _

"_You're all mine tonight, frog boy," Tanya hissed, as she tackled his lips again. Adam's excitement slowly overwhelmed his remaining nervousness and he fumbled with the buttons on her green cardigan. _

"_You're so beautiful…" he whispered, as he stared at her, before bringing his lips to her neck. Tanya gasped, as he quickly lifted her up and onto his bed. _

* * *

He smiled at the memory and saw dark gypsy eyes staring back at him now.

"Good morning," he whispered. She grinned back.

"Morning Frog Prince," she whispered back, as their lips met again and their passion resurfaced, burning as brightly as it had the night before.

* * *

As the rem of her deep sleep began to fade, Kimberly became aware of the light that was slowly filling the bedroom. She frowned sleepily, as her new awareness caused her to realize that the very warm body that had been lying entwined with her own was gone. She opened her bleary, sleep filled eyes and found Tommy not far away, wearing only a pair of training pants and practicing one of his morning katas. She had a feeling there would be many mornings just like this one and she was giddy as she thought about the previous night's events.

"Morning beautiful," he greeted with a smile.

"Morning handsome," she replied, as he kissed her passionately.

"Do you know how long I've dreamed of this?" he asked huskily.

"Of what?" she asked between kisses.

"Of waking up next to you," he replied, as he kissed her again.

"Of making love to you like last night," he added, as their lips met again. She smiled.

"Me too…and it almost didn't happen, because of me," she replied.

"Hey…none of that. That's all in the past now. We're together and we love each other. That's all that matters," he reminded, as he slid back into bed with her.

"I know…I just can't help but think what might have been if I never wrote that stupid letter," Kimberly fretted.

"Let's not focus on that. We're here now. It just took us longer than we had hoped, but that's why we shouldn't waste any more time," Tommy said, as he kissed her neck. She smiled.

"Well, we do have a lot of catching up to do," she replied, as their lips met again and he threw the covers over them.

* * *

Jason lost his hands in her silky raven tresses, as their lips dueled passionately. Trini's hands marveled and caressed her husband's amazingly ripped chest and torso. She was very aware that he was built like a Greek god and never missed an opportunity to engage in the physical side of their relationship. Jason hungrily kissed her neck, as they slowly came down from the high that their early morning lovemaking had created.

"That was the best way to wake up," Jason said, grinning at her. She smiled back.

"Definitely," she replied, pecking him on the lips again, before resting against his bare, sweat slicked chest. He heard his phone beep and picked it up from the bedside table, hoping it was finally a text from Zack, who had been strangely silent recently. He sighed when he saw that it was Tommy, asking him if had heard from him. The Turbo's hadn't responded to any of Tommy's texts either.

"Who is it?" Trini asked.

"Just Tommy…he hasn't been able to get a hold of T.J. or Justin either," Jason replied.

"You think Gorbin got to them?" she asked.

"It's highly possible. They're not active anymore and Gorbin's lapdogs might have been able to arrest them. In any case, we need to find them and I think Washington is a good place to start. We need to know what's going on," Jason said. Trini nodded and she kissed him tenderly.

"Just promise me that you'll be careful," she pleaded. He smiled and kissed her again.

"Promise," he stated, sealing it with a kiss.

* * *

_**Sometime later in the kitchen**_

"So we were thinking that tonight would be a good opportunity for some team bonding, providing there are no attacks, of course," Jason suggested, as he and Tommy sat at the breakfast table with several others.

"You mean you want to get the younger ones smashed," Kimberly said knowingly.

"You know, I'm hurt by that Kimmy. I can't believe you'd even suggest that I'd corrupt any of my fellow ranger males," Jason said with mock hurt in his voice.

"Nice try baby, but no one's buying that," Trini replied, as she set a plate of cut pineapple on the table.

"You guys are just lucky that we think it's a good idea for a girl's night. I don't know how poor Tori and Kira got stuck on a team with all boys, but those girls need time with their fellow female rangers," Aisha said, as she sat next to Rocky, who was shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

"Then it's on. Boys get the rec room and girls get the living room," Tommy said.

"Okay, but you guys have to promise to actually bond and not just try to drink each other under the table," Trini said. They scoffed.

"That is male bonding," Jason argued, earning him eye rolls from the women.

"What did you find?" Tommy asked to Rocky.

"Well, there's plenty of beer, but I figured we'd need something harder to get Hunter tipsy if what Zedd told us is right," Rocky replied.

"And?" Jason prompted.

"I found some vodka, brandy, and scotch. Oh, and some whiskey too," Rocky replied.

"That should do it," Tommy said.

"Not to change the subject, but has anyone heard from Zack in the last few days?" Trini asked.

"Not a peep," Kimberly replied worriedly.

"Carlos hasn't answered any of my calls either," Adam said, as he and Tanya came into the kitchen. He poured some coffee, while she sat down.

"T.J. hasn't answered either. I thought maybe he was just lying low…" Tommy admitted.

"Or Gorbin has something to do with this. It's not like Zack not to call and my gut is telling me that something is off," Jason said.

"We also need to find out what the hell is going on in Washington. I read online that no one has seen the President since the day he made that broadcast that revealed our identities," Adam mentioned.

"Okay, I know Washington so I'll take a few of us and go poke around there this morning," Jason suggested.

"Are you sure that's wise? Even in disguise, you could be recognized," Trini warned.

"That's a chance we'll have to take. In the meantime, see if Billy and Hayley can hack into the Angel Grove Police Department's system and find the Turbo's last locations. I have a feeling that wherever they are, Zack is with them," Tommy said. They agreed and dispersed.

* * *

"Good swells?" Hunter asked, as he met his girlfriend on the beach. Tori smiled and set her surfboard down in the sand so she could wrap her arms around him.

"I haven't seen swells like these in Blue Bay for months," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.

"You looked amazing out there as usual," he complimented.

"You just like watching me, because I'm wearing a bikini," she teased. He chuckled.

"Guilty, but you're gorgeous so who can blame me?" he quipped, as he kissed her neck. She giggled.

"Come on handsome, let's go clean up and leave for Phaedos," Tori said, as she hopped on his back and he took off toward the compound.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

After Tori and Hunter left for Phaedos with Zedd, Jason gathered the team he was taking to Washington with him in the Ops room. Shane and Blake were dressed in their respective Ninja uniforms, while the others had dressed in black as Jason had instructed. Each of them added their own small touches of their respective color and Jason faced them. In addition to Shane and Blake, whose Ninja streaking would come in handy, he had chosen Adam and Trent for camouflage, Tommy who had the power of invisibility like himself, and Tanya and Kat for their respective powers of phasing and shielding. Cam would be monitoring them, while Billy, Carly, and Hayley would be working on trying to find information on the whereabouts of their missing friends.

"Okay…everyone know their assignments?" Jason asked. They all nodded and he turned to Trini.

"Be careful," she pleaded. He smiled.

"I'll be fine, they won't even see me," he replied, as he kissed her tenderly.

"Okay, we're ready Cam," Jason called. Cam initiated teleportation and they were swept away to the location they had designated would be a safe place to land in D.C.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Greetings were simple as they arrived on Phaedos and Tori found herself immersed in watching Hunter with his Uncle. Zedd was a very impressive swordsman and she had been told by Hunter that Dulcea was even more skilled. Now that she was with the mother of the man she loved though, she found questions floating around in her mind that she wanted to ask. It seemed Dulcea could already sense this.

"You can ask me anything, sweetheart," she said, giving her a kind smile. Tori looked a little embarrassed, but smiled.

"I was just wondering about Hunter's people. I mean, I love him more than anything and nothing is ever going to change that, and I know he feels the same about me, but will the Eltarians want him to return to them when they find out he's alive. He is Zordon's nephew," Tori said curiously. Dulcea smiled.

"They may want him to and there is no reason that two of you cannot visit Eltar someday, but I don't think you need to worry about Hunter wanting to be anywhere else except with you," Dulcea assured her and squeezed her hand.

"My son loves you and he may be Eltarian and Phaedosan, but he's still an Earthling. Earth is his home, because that's where you are, not to mention where his brother and friends are as well," Dulcea replied. Tori nodded gratefully.

"Thank you," Tori said. Dulcea nodded.

"Now, let's not let the boys have all the fun and do a little training ourselves," Dulcea suggested, as Tori got to her feet, ready to begin her own training session.

* * *

_**Washington D.C.**_

_**1600 Pennsylvania Avenue**_

As Jason observed the scene in his invisible form, he saw much of what the news had been showing. People were lined up with signs, picketing as close to the White House as they could.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please stay back behind this line or you will force us to arrest you," an officer spoke into a megaphone over their yelling.

"You can't take away our right to protest!" a woman shouted.

"Why not? They've taken away our other rights!" a man shouted. Having seen enough, Jason unknowingly followed two secret service officers onto the White House lawn.

"The President could get rid of a lot of the protestors if he would just show his face," one of the officers said.

"It's not our place to question the President," the other replied.

"Then whose place is it? This is a democracy…or at least it was. That's what the people do. They question their government, especially when they don't like what's going on," the other protested. Jason had to agree. None of this made any sense.

"Stop talking like that!" the taller one hissed, as they stopped and faced each other. Jason couldn't see their eyes that were hidden by black sunglasses, but he could almost feel the fury in the gaze of the taller one.

"People that have questioned things since this began have disappeared. Even the Power Rangers are hiding!" he spat.

"Shouldn't that tell you that something is seriously wrong with our leadership? The people that are defending us are forced to hide when they're not fighting. It's like the President just changed overnight and let sector nine have free reign," the shorter one complained. Jason had heard enough and hurried ahead of them, whispering into his earpiece.

"Did you any of that?" he said.

"_All of it…it confirms that the President is behind sector nine, but I still don't get it. No one changes like that overnight," _Cam said.

"Unless he's like Gorbin and he's been planning this for years," Jason replied.

"_It still doesn't explain how he knows so much about us," _Tommy chimed in. Adam and Trent called in next, having found the security room.

"_Trent and I are in the security room. Talk about high-tech. You and Billy would love this place," _Adam's voice sounded.

"_Do you see a system that looks like it might be the main system?" _Cam questioned.

"_Yeah, this thing looks like the motherboard. It's a serious kick-ass server room," _Trent said.

"_Just plug that flash drive I gave you. There will be time for my nerd envy later," _Cam quipped. Adam plugged the drive into the port and then spoke again.

"_It's downloading now," _Adam said.

"_Someone's coming," _Trent hissed, as he and Adam used their camouflage to blend in with the walls, as two technicians came back from their break.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tommy unknowingly walked the halls of the White House, slowly making his way to the Oval office. Something had been off about this whole thing; he had felt that in his bones from the beginning. But now, as he inched closer to an office that only a few people ever saw the inside of, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Tommy Oliver didn't get that feeling unless he was in the presence of evil and his Ninjetti spirit was reacting to it. He felt the Falcon stirring in him and heard a voice behind the cracked door. He slipped inside and listened to President Miller speaking on the phone.

"General…I trust that your boys will have a better showing during the next battle?" the President asked, pausing as the person on the other end spoke. Tommy was positive that it was Gorbin.

"The rangers made them look like complete fools. I don't have to tell you how disappointed I am. The more people that rally around the rangers, the less control I have," the President argued, listening to the adamant voice on the other end.

"For your sake, I hope the zords that we've spent billions constructing had better do the job," the President stated.

"You let me worry about the Phoenix Ranger. I know exactly how to handle him," Miller said, as he hung up the phone and smirked. Tommy watched in pure confusion and horror, as the President's eyes flashed yellow briefly. He had seen that before more than once. He himself had been controlled by evil and he knew now that their worst fears were confirmed, though it only created more questions now.

"I know you're here, White Ranger. I can feel your power," Miller spoke. Tommy's eyes widened, as his uncloaked his presence and stood before the man that was parading as the President.

"Who the hell are you and where is the real President?" Tommy demanded. The man sat back in his chair and chuckled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I am the real president…in the flesh," he responded.

"And you have about three seconds until the secret service comes in here, guns trained on your head. You might want to go out the window. That will make for spectacular news exclusive for all the reporters camped outside," the President said with a chuckle.

"White ranger attempts to assassinate President of the United States…I can see the scandal now," he hissed, as the secret service burst into the Oval Office, training their weapons on Tommy.

"Don't move ranger," the lead officer warned. In a flash of white, Tommy activated his morpher and leapt toward the window, bullets bouncing harmlessly off his armor. He turned his helmeted head toward the President with one last look.

"Give my regards to Rita and Zedd…_sholak en a lish derry frix," _he spoke in a language Tommy somehow knew was nothing practiced on Earth.

"Abort mission guys…get out of the White House," Tommy called, as he broke through the window, as GAMA guardians, armed with sophisticated weapons, descended upon him.

"A little back up would be great guys!" Tommy called, as he saw a flash of Navy and Red sprint onto the battlefield, followed by a Gold one.

"Ninja Storm!"

"Thunder Storm!"

"Ranger Form!" Shane and Blake called.

"Dino Thunder, Power up!" Jason called, joining them and activating his powers.

* * *

"_Dammit…you guys need to get that flash drive and get out of there. The download is complete," _Cam hissed into Adam's earpiece.

"I know…we're working on it," Adam whispered.

"Did you hear something?" one of the tech's asked.

"No, I think you're imaging things. Too much time spent with machines," the other tech quipped. Suddenly the door flew open, revealing two very attractive females, dressed to kill, one in a stunning pink dress and another in a green one, their stiletto heels clicking on the floor.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but we're looking for the place where the interns are sent," Kat said in her best ditzy voice.

"Yeah…we're interns," Tanya said with a cutesy giggle she had to force, making Adam practically have to bite his tongue off to keep from laughing. It worked like a charm though, as the two slightly nerdy technicians were on their feet immediately and left to show the girls where they needed to go. Adam shook his head and snatched the flash drive from the computer terminal, as he and Trent slipped out. The girls appeared beside them, thanks to Tanya's phasing and Adam smiled at her.

"Great dress," he said, admiring his girlfriend.

"I can't believe Kat and I agreed to do the pretty, but idiot airhead bit for you jerks," Tanya grumbled.

"It worked though. We got the entire download," Trent replied.

"It better be worth it," Kat agreed.

"Trust me, I have a feeling that there is some pretty explosive information on this little flash drive now," Adam replied, as they hurried around the corner.

"Stop right there!" an officer called, as they gave chase, raising their weapons.

"Crap…" Trent said, as they started running. Bullets bounced off Kat's violet shield and they decided to take no more chances.

"Dino Thunder, Power up!"

"Ninjetti…The Frog!"

Flashes of white, green, violet, and black nearly blinded the officers, as four rangers now sprinted onto the White House lawn, joining their teammates.

"Anytime Cam…I'd really like to not have to go on the offensive with these guys," Shane said into his communicator.

"Yeah, that's just what they want…us chopping these guys up so they can show people that we're bad news," Blake agreed.

"_Hang on…there's a lot of interference," _Cam called.

"_I got a lock…stand by," _Cam called a few seconds later and they disappeared with a sweep of teleportation, reappearing in Ranger Ops seconds later. They cancelled their morph and Adam handed the flash drive to Cam.

"Perfect, we'll start going through the information and figure out what's going on," Cam said.

"I may know…or at least we will if you recorded my conversation with the President," Tommy said. Cam nodded.

"I did, but I don't recognize the language. Rita is on her way down though," Cam said. As he said that, Rita and the Mystics made their way down into Ninja Ops.

"What's so urgent?" she asked.

"Sorry to pull you away from your magic training, but you need to hear something," Tommy said, nodding to Cam, who played the excerpt of the conversation back.

"Give my regards to Rita and Zedd…_sholak en a lish derry frix," _

Rita froze as she heard those words and all eyes were on her, as she visibly paled.

"Do you know what those words mean?" Jason asked.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold…and you wouldn't know the language, because it is only spoken in the M51 galaxy…" she said, stunning them all.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

Hunter and Dulcea finished sparring, while Tori took her turn sparring with Zedd. He downed his water from his canteen, as she sat calmly beside him. She smiled, seeing the emotions on her son's face, as he watched his love move with a fluid grace she had not seen in a warrior since her long dead friend Dolphia of Aquitar.

"You love her," Dulcea stated. He nodded.

"More than anything…though to people that know us, we're the last couple anyone expected," Hunter replied.

"Love has a way of blindsiding us, but when we find it, we must hold onto it as tightly as we can, because we can never know when that love will be taken away," Duclea said sadly. Hunter squeezed her hand and she smiled gratefully.

"I'm going to find a way to free you from the curse so you can come home with us," Hunter promised.

"That would be nice sweetheart, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. There is a chance that there is no way to break the curse. I will be happy as long as you're happy," Dulcea replied.

"Well, Ivan Ooze aside, I am happy. Tori is the most amazing woman and I never imagined I would be so lucky," he admitted.

"Then you do plan to marry her someday?" Dulcea asked, watching her son shift uncomfortably.

"Yeah…I was even saving up to buy a ring before all this started," he admitted. She smiled and held her hand out, as something small appeared in her palm.

"This is the ring your father gave me when he asked me to marry him," Dulcea said, as she placed it in his hand. It was a beautiful clear diamond set in a silver band surrounded by an encrusted border of tiny garnets.

"It's beautiful mom…but I can't take this from you," Hunter protested.

"It is an enchanted ring that has been passed down in your father's family for many generations. It is passed on to the oldest son, who then gives it to his chosen mate," Dulcea explained.

"Enchanted?" Hunter asked.

"Imagine what you would like it to look like when you place it on Tori's finger," Dulcea instructed. Hunter looked at the ring and his eyes widened, as the diamond suddenly changed to a beautiful sapphire color, surrounded by two dolphins each with a ruby eye set on a silver gold band.

"The ring is modified to suit each couple's union," Dulcea explained.

"Mom…this is…thank you," Hunter said, nearly at a loss for words.

"Just don't wait too long to ask her. I've waited a very long time for grandchildren," Dulcea mentioned, as she kissed his forehead. Hunter rolled his eyes and pocketed the ring, as Zedd and Tori finished their spar and came to rest with them. Tori leaned down and kissed him tenderly, before taking his hand and pulling him up.

"Come on," she said. He smirked.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"We're going to check out the killer waves over on that ridge," she said, pointing to the nearby cliffs, as they walked off together, hand in hand. Zedd chuckled.

"Well, did you give it to him?" he asked. Dulcea nodded with a smile.

"Your Mom is an amazing women," Tori mentioned.

"She is, but so are you and I think she really likes you," Hunter replied.

"I hope so, because you mean everything to me," she said, as the waves crashed on the rocks below and the breeze blew her tousled her blonde locks. Hunter remembered the ring his mother had given him and he cupped her face in his hands.

"Trust me…you make me happy, which makes you her new favorite person," he assured her, as he kissed her passionately. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes and he knew in that instant that he wanted to ask her to marry him. But the sound of laser fire destroyed their bliss, as they saw a large blue ship, coming in very hot, with several smaller enemy ships firing on it. Tori gasped and Hunter pulled her down, as the blaster fire disrupted the ground beneath them.

"That's the Astro Megaship!" he heard his Uncle call.

"The Space rangers…they're going to crash," Tori said.

"Not if we can help it," he replied, as she nodded.

"Ninja Storm!"

"Phoenix Storm!"

"Ranger Form!" they called, as a flash of blue and crimson revealed their morphed forms. His Phoenix wings spread on his back and he grabbed her around the waist, as they soared after the ship in peril…


	29. Chapter 28: We Are Young

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 28! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Harry2: Yep, Vile is back, albeit in human form, which may make him more dangerous. Glad you're enjoying the story.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: You're right and stay tuned to find out exactly how it's possible. Glad you're enjoying the story.

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

PRfansince93: Thanks, glad you enjoyed. Rita explains how it might be possible in this chapter, so read on. :)

fallingstar22: Glad you enjoyed the romance. Male bonding ahead in this chapter. Much more excitement to come.

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: LOL, thanks, glad you liked the story. Enjoy this chapter and I hope to get to your new chapter soon.

Black Phoenix Ranger: Thanks, glad you like the story.

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. However, in reference to your earlier comments, I did not forget Tyzonn, he just went back to his home planet. This story is completely AU after "Once A Ranger." As for Zack, Angela knows everything and just wants no part of it. He loves her and made a choice to put the rangering behind him for good. As for Justin, he was okay, but I never really was a huge fan. The part where he "grew" when he morphed always annoyed me to the point I didn't watch much of Turbo. So sorry, no offense to Justin, but it's the choice I made. I also will not be revising the story to keep Joel, Angela, Chad and Captain Mitchell alive. I didn't want to kill them, but there are casualties in war and I had to do it to stress the gravity of the situation. Hope you still continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for reading.

Spidey2: Wow, thanks. I'm glad you think so. Enjoy the update. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. As for M51, it was actually ruled by Master Vile for a very long time if that gives you a hint. ;)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 28: We Are Young

_Now I know that I'm not  
All that you got  
I guess that I, I just thought  
Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart  
But our friends are back  
So let's raise a toast  
'Cause I found someone to carry me home_

Tonight  
We are young  
So let's set the world on fire  
We can burn brighter than the sun

_**Song: We Are Young**_

_**Artist: Fun.**_

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

"M51?" Tommy asked. Rita nodded.

"M51…as in the galaxy your father pretty much ruled," Tommy continued.

"M51 as in that was one of my father's signature sayings," Rita announced.

"But that's impossible…isn't it?" Rocky asked.

"I saw my father turn to dust before my very eyes," Rita replied.

"But I'm afraid it might not be completely impossible," she added.

"I'm lost again," Conner admitted.

"I think we all are. How can Vile still be alive?" Jason asked.

"My father was a powerful sorcerer. There are spells that he could have cast before the wave hit that would have contained his essence," Rita explained.

"Contained his essence?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow. Rita nodded.

"There are many, but if I know my father, he may have cast a spell to trap himself in demon form," Rita explained.

"Demon form?" Trent asked in disbelief. She nodded.

"Then he would have only needed to find host bodies to sustain himself," Rita said.

"Wait, so what you're saying is that he's never truly been gone and that he's been on Earth all these years, parading around as whoever he wants, and planning his revenge?" Tommy asked. Rita nodded.

"It is possible and would explain the drastic change in the President and his allowance to let people like Gorbin carry out their own agenda," Rita stated.

"Dammit…like we didn't have enough problems," Jason said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I've got the system working on decrypting all the information on the flash drive, but it's massive so it will probably be close to morning before we know much of anything else," Cam said. Tommy nodded.

"All right, let's just try to relax this evening and take this all in then for now," Tommy suggested.

"We will need to tell Zedd that we suspect that my father is alive when he gets back," Rita said. Jason nodded.

"He's not going to take it well. From the story that he told, Vile is the reason Dulcea was cursed and Zander had to sacrifice himself in the first place," Jason said.

"That would explain his comment about handling the Phoenix ranger too. Hunter's going to have Ooze and Vile gunning for him," Tommy replied.

"Sounds like we're all in for the fight of our lives," Blake added, as they all shared meaningful glances.

* * *

_**Phaedos**_

"Your Mom is an amazing woman," Tori mentioned.

"She is, but so are you and I think she really likes you," Hunter replied.

"I hope so, because you mean everything to me," she said, as the waves crashed on the rocks below and the breeze blew her tousled her blonde locks. Hunter remembered the ring his mother had given him and he cupped her face in his hands.

"Trust me…you make me happy, which makes you her new favorite person," he assured her, as he kissed her passionately. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes and he knew in that instant that he wanted to ask her to marry him. But the sound of laser fire destroyed their bliss, as they saw a large blue ship, coming in very hot, with several smaller enemy ships firing on it. Tori gasped and Hunter pulled her down, as the blaster fire disrupted the ground beneath them.

"That's the Astro Megaship!" he heard his Uncle call.

"The Space rangers…they're going to crash," Tori said.

"Not if we can help it," he replied, as she nodded.

"Ninja Storm!"

"Phoenix Storm!"

"Ranger Form!" they called, as a flash of blue and crimson revealed their morphed forms. His Phoenix wings spread on his back and he grabbed her around the waist, as they soared after the ship in peril.

"I'm going to attach my grappling cables and try to slow them down. Can you take care of the fish creeps?" he called, referring to the ships that were manned by Sharkanian bounty hunters under Ivan Ooze's command.

"Yeah, just give me a boost," she replied, as he catapulted her into the air. She flipped and landed solidly on the hull of the moving Astro Megaship, her Dolphin blaster appearing in her hand. Bracing herself by getting down on one knee, she began shooting aqua laser blasts at the firing ships.

Meanwhile, Hunter attached two cables to the descending ship and pulled back on them with all his might. He felt the fire alive in his veins, as he summoned every ounce of his enhanced strength. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an aqua blast hit the ship on his right and watched it explode in brilliant fire. She never failed to have his back and he wouldn't fail her. The ship slowed significantly, as Tori destroyed the second pursuing craft and exchanged fire with the third. They saw three of the crafts land and three Sharkanians exit their ships. Tengu birds appeared and flew toward the two rangers. Hunter's feet hit the ground, as the ship now slowly hovered above the ground. He pulled it to a halt and it lurched to a stop. Tori jumped off and he detached the cables, as the occupants of the ship filed out of the damaged ship. Andros, Zhane, and Karone wasted no time and activated their Astro morphers, quickly joining the fight, while Zedd helped a still injured Ashley and Dex off to the side.

"So it's true…the Phoenix ranger is alive…" Dex said in amazement. Zedd nodded.

"He slowed the ship down too so these fools have no chance," Zedd assured.

Hunter drew his saber and the blade lit on fire. He swung the weapon and sent the beam of fire at an approaching Sharkanian, who abruptly stopped in the face of the attack. He attempted to evade it, but the flames engulfed him, turning him to ash. Andros and Zhane double teamed another Sharkanian, while Tori and Karone dispatched the Tengu warriors.

The third Sharkanian used his land shark attack and barreled toward the girls, but Hunter ran directly at the oncoming fin.

"_Are you sure about this attack mom?" _he called telepathically.

"_I know it is hard to wrap your mind around sweetheart, but you are more than capable of this. Let go of your doubt," _Dulcea instructed. Hunter felt the Phoenix fire consume him and he dematerialized into a flaming beam, going straight through the creature, before rematerializing behind him. The Sharkanian general exploded in an array of crimson fire and thunder, as even his ashes were incinerated. Seeing this, the Tengu warriors abandoned the fight and flew off in fear. The Astro rangers cancelled their morphing sequence, while Hunter and Tori followed suit.

"Thank you…if we had crashed, we might not have survived," Andros said, extending his hand. Hunter shook it and then Zhane's hand.

"I'm just glad we were here. I'm Hunter Bradley," he introduced himself, before gesturing to Tori.

"Tori Hanson," she introduced herself.

"I'm Andros and this is my wife Ashley, my sister Karone, and her husband Zhane," Andros said.

"Tommy's told us stories so it's great to finally meet all of you," Hunter said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Tori asked, indicating Dex. The prince smiled.

"I'll be fine," he said softly.

"I'm Prince Dex of Edenoi," he introduced.

"KO-35 and Edenoi have fallen so we came here in hopes you had a way of getting us to Earth to join the resistance against Ivan Ooze," Andros said. Hunter nodded.

"I'm sorry about your planets, but I promise that he will pay for everything he's done and everyone he's killed. We would be honored if you joined the fight," Hunter replied.

"Tommy and Rocky have told us stories about your team. Hunter's right, it would be an honor to fight alongside all of you," Tori added with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, I am glad to find out that I was wrong about putting any faith in the ancient prophecy. The elders on KO-35 were right it seems," Andros said, as he looked to Dulcea, who smiled from her Temple, as they helped Dex along and arrived on the Temple grounds.

"It's good to see that you are all safe," Dulcea greeted them.

"We should probably get back to Earth. I'd like Trini and Dana to look all of you over for injuries, especially Dex," Zedd suggested. Dulcea nodded and hugged her son and Tori.

"Cam, do you read?" Hunter asked through his communicator.

"_I'm assuming the three of you are ready to come back?" _Cam asked.

"Yeah, except that we're bringing the Astro rangers and Prince Dex of Edenoi with us," Hunter replied.

"_How many Hunter…I'm kind of busy decoding some pretty important stuff," _Cam said.

"Geez…you don't have to be mean, dude," Hunter retorted. Tori smiled.

"There's eight of us Cam," she said.

"_Okay, I've got a lock and sorry for snapping, it's just been a stressful day. Some pretty big stuff went down in D.C. today. I'll explain when you guys get here," _Cam replied, as they eight of them were swept up by a beam of teleportation.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

"_Give my regards to Rita and Zedd…sholak en a lish derry frix," _

Ivan Ooze smirked, as he listened to the recording of the conversation he had picked up from the ranger's little escapade in Washington D.C. earlier.

"Well, well, it looks like things have gotten more interesting," Ivan sneered.

"That is a language only spoken in the M51 galaxy…you don't think…" Xin started to say when he was cut off by his master.

"Of course I do…it makes sense. Only that three headed snake would resort to using the bodies of humans to enact his revenge," Ivan snapped.

"My Lord…Master Vile cannot be allowed to interfere with our plans," Xin stated.

"No…but thus far he has managed to set them up for emotional turmoil that I suspect will be surprisingly effective when they learn of all that this General Gorbin, under Vile's orders no doubt, has managed to do," Ivan stated, as he observed the scene below in Washington where protestors swarmed the streets outside the White House.

"We will let Vile continue with his little game and when I am tired of his nonsense, I'll take care of him myself if I have to," Ivan responded.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Dex…is that really you?" Tommy asked, as he returned from the infirmary with Dana following him.

"Hello Tommy, it's good to see you…all of you, even under these circumstances," Dex greeted, as he returned to Ranger Ops.

"Like I said before, I promise that we're going to make him pay," Hunter said, as he sheathed the Phoenix saber in the scabbard on his back.

"Did you find anything in Washington?" Tori asked.

"Oh did they…" Conner quipped.

"What's going on?" Zedd asked, as Rita looked at him sadly.

"Rita…what is it?" he asked more anxiously.

"It's probably better you hear the conversation Tommy had with the President," Rita said, as she nodded to Cam, who rolled the recording.

"_General…I trust that your boys will have a better showing during the next battle?" the President asked, pausing as the person on the other end spoke. Tommy was positive that it was Gorbin._

"_The rangers made them look like complete fools. I don't have to tell you how disappointed I am. The more people that rally around the rangers, the less control I have," the President argued, listening to the adamant voice on the other end._

"_For your sake, I hope the zords that we've spent billions constructing had better do the job," the President stated. _

"_You let me worry about the Phoenix Ranger. I know exactly how to handle him," Miller said, as he hung up the phone and smirked. Tommy watched in pure confusion and horror, as the President's eyes flashed yellow briefly. He had seen that before more than once. He himself had been controlled by evil and he knew now that their worst fears were confirmed, though it only created more questions now. _

"_I know you're here, White Ranger. I can feel your power," Miller spoke. Tommy's eyes widened, as his uncloaked his presence and stood before the man that was parading as the President. _

"_Who the hell are you and where is the real President?" Tommy demanded. The man sat back in his chair and chuckled. _

"_I have no idea what you're talking about. I am the real president…in the flesh," he responded. _

"_And you have about three seconds until the secret service comes in here, guns trained on your head. You might want to go out the window. That will make for spectacular news exclusive for all the reporters camped outside," the President said with a chuckle. _

"_White ranger attempts to assassinate President of the United States…I can see the scandal now," he hissed, as the secret service burst into the Oval Office, training their weapons on Tommy._

"_Don't move ranger," the lead officer warned. In a flash of white, Tommy activated his morpher and leapt toward the window, bullets bouncing harmlessly off his armor. He turned his helmeted head toward the President with one last look._

"_Give my regards to Rita and Zedd…sholak en a lish derry frix,"_

"Master Vile…" Zedd growled.

"Wait…Master Vile, as in the Master Vile that cursed my mother?" Hunter asked.

"Yes and the Master Vile that is responsible for your father's death," Zedd growled.

"But I thought he was turned to dust during the battle in 1998? Tori asked.

"His physical form was, but my father was a powerful sorcerer. Preserving his essence in demon or spirit form with a spell was well within his powers," Rita explained.

"And if you think Ivan Ooze holds a grudge against your father, then Vile's hatred of him runs twice as deep and it will translate to you," Zedd stated. Hunter shook his head.

"I'll be fine Uncle," Hunter assured him.

"Hunter…this is the same being that stopped at nothing to destroy your father by hurting everyone close to him, including you and your mother," Zedd reminded, as they shared a meaningful look and glanced across the room at both Tori, Blake, and his closest friends.

"He touches her…I'll kill him," Hunter said dangerously.

"I just want you to be prepared, because they will both go after the people you love most to get to you," Zedd warned. Hunter nodded.

"We won't know anything more until the computer is done decoding that flash drive, so I suggest we all take the opportunity and relax," Cam spoke.

"Guess guys' night is still on and from the sounds of things, we better blow off steam while we can," Jason said, as they started gathering by the stairs.

"That means you too, fire boy. You can kiss on Tori later, let's go!" Jason called. Hunter rolled his eyes and Tori kissed his cheek.

"We'll have time to pick up where we left off later, handsome," she promised. He nodded and kissed her tenderly. He wanted more than anything to take her somewhere and propose to her, but he recognized that the moment had passed for now and decided that he would surprise her later by taking her somewhere special.

"I'll hold you to that, babe," he said, as he hurried to catch up with the guys, while Tori joined the girls.

* * *

_**The Rec Room**_

"Oh Aye yi yi!" Alpha exclaimed, as he was nearly tackled by hungry males while bringing in a large tray of food to the rec room.

"Thanks Alpha," Rocky said, while taking a huge bite of a sandwich.

"No problem Rocky…oh, this brings back memories. I'll go make more food," the quirky little robot said, as he trotted off to the kitchen again after setting the tray down. Zedd was at the bar mixing drinks and Jason sipped at one of his concoctions.

"Mmm…that's really good. I barely taste any alcohol," he mentioned. Zedd smirked.

"That's why these will knock you on your ass if you're not careful, because they taste like ordinary fruit punch," Zedd mused.

"Here kid, try this," Jason said, as he handed the drink to his predecessor. Conner tasted it and then made their eyes widen, as he gulped down half of it.

"Mmm…this is good," Conner said, as he kept drinking. Jason chuckled and Tommy shook his head in amusement.

"How'd you get so good at making drinks?" Conner asked, as he finished it, all the while having no idea that he would soon be wasted.

"Seven thousand some years to practice," Zedd quipped.

"But…didn't you have like metal over your mouth when you were evil?" Conner asked in confusion. Zedd raised an eyebrow.

"Your point?" Zedd asked.

"How did you drink anything?" the red dino ranger asked. Tommy and Jason snickered in amusement at the mental picture of Zedd in his former form, trying to enjoy a drink.

"A straw," Zedd joked, causing Tommy and Jason to nearly spit out the liquid they had in their mouths. Conner nodded and accepted another drink, as he went to watch Shane's virtual skateboarding.

"If he's like that sober, then he'll be a hoot drunk," Zedd quipped, as he lined up shot glasses and poured pure whiskey into them. Eric rubbed his hands together and motioned to the younger male rangers.

"All right kiddies, time to do shots," he called, as they started gathering.

"That means you too, flame boy!" Wes called.

"Or maybe we should call him _thunder boy_," Eric said in a girly voice. Hunter shot him a look.

"Only Tori and I mean only Tori gets to call me that," Hunter insisted, as he approached the bar and his uncle slid a shot glass toward him.

"Why I am drinking this again?" he asked.

"Red initiation," Jason answered.

"Ranger male initiation in general. The rest of us don't get too creative with our rookie initiations. We pretty much just all drink and make fun of the ones that get drunk first," Billy added.

"Well, I used to know what my tolerance was. I guess it's time to find out what it is now," Hunter replied, as he did the first shot.

"Ugh…that stuff tastes horrible," Hunter complained, as Jason and Tommy did a shot.

"Yep," Billy agreed, as he did his, as Zedd poured another for his nephew.

"The first one is still burning in my throat. Why would I want another?" Hunter asked.

"Doing shots isn't about liking the taste. Now man up and drink it. You have your father's reputation to uphold," Zedd responded. Hunter rolled his eyes and downed the second shot.

"All right, as nasty as this stuff tastes, I have a toast to make," Shane said, as he held up a glass and handed one to Dustin.

"My best friend is now an engaged man," Shane announced. Dustin received several pats on the back.

"To Dustin and Marah," Conner said, as he raised the shot glass. The others followed suit and each downed their drink.

"Tyranno boy is going to be three sheets to the wind soon," Jason joked quietly. Tommy chuckled.

"Knowing Conner, he'll be a hoot when plastered," Tommy agreed.

"All right, I hear some complaints the taste of the shots, so let Bulkie here behind the counter and I'll mix up some drinks so smooth that, it'll go down your gullet like chocolate milk," Bulk boasted, as he started mixing up drinks.

"Oh that's right, Tommy told me you owned a pool side restaurant and bar of sorts," Jason said.

"Still do…or did rather," Bulk said.

"Yeah, we used to take Olivia there to swim all the time in the summer and chow down on some of Bulkmeier's specialties," Rocky said with a grin.

"We'll get our lives back eventually. Now that we know that Vile is behind turning people against us, we can find a way to fix the mess sector nine has made," Adam mentioned.

"Yeah and some of us already are getting our lives back, isn't that right rainbow ranger? You and Kimmie are canoodling again I hear," Rocky teased. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Yes Kim and I are back together and please never say canoodling again," Tommy replied, earning laughs around the room.

"They aren't the only couple that's back together, right Frog boy?" Rocky asked. Adam dipped his head down shyly.

"Yeah Tanya and I are back together too," he announced.

"Seems like everyone has someone except a few of us like me," Trent said miserably.

"Hey…you just haven't found her yet and you will," Shane assured him.

"If I'm going to find her just to lose her, then I'm not sure I want to," Trent replied.

"Hey…I had just a few hours with Skyla and I'm still torn up about losing her, but I wouldn't trade that time, even to make the pain go away," Shane told him.

"He's right, the time you do have is worth the pain if you lose her. It's just a little more bitter when you lost her, because you're an idiot," Eric said, referring to Taylor.

"It's not too late, you know. You could try to win her back," Wes mentioned.

"Taylor's not a very forgiving person," Eric replied.

"Then grovel. That's what I'd be doing if I ever screwed up and lost Tor. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me," Hunter stated.

"Yeah and no other girl is going to put up with you, so make sure you never screw it up," Shane reminded. Hunter glared at him.

"Gee thanks," Hunter replied. Shane laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"No offense dude, but you can be a little hard to deal with sometimes, though you're way better than you used to be," Shane said with an eye roll. Hunter smirked.

"Okay, I'll give you that and she's amazing. I'm better because of her," he replied.

"Okay, now try these Bulkmeier Suprises and see if they're a little easier to swallow," Bulk said, as he had a few try them.

"Mmm…that's really good. Tastes as good as the other one Zedd made, but it's pineappley," Conner said, as he took a big gulp.

"Pineappley?" Trent asked embarrassed by his fearless leader at the moment.

"Geez jock boy, slow down or you're going to be puking your guts out in no time," Ethan chided.

"Oh lighten up Eth, I'm fine," Conner said. His speech was starting to slur a little.

"Wow, if it's all the same to you Bulk, I think the rest of us will switch to beer. Looks like Conner is going to put on a show," Tommy mused.

"Fridge is full of beer so help yourselves," Skull said.

"Except for you, fire boy. I want to see how many of these you can," Jason said, pointing at Bulk's signature drink," Jason stated.

"And why would I do that?" Hunter asked. Jason smirked.

"Because you're a red and reds just can't turn down a challenge," Jason replied. Hunter agreed with a nod and downed the glass.

"At least these taste good," Hunter said.

"I think reds also have brain damage," Ethan mumbled.

"Agreed," Trent seconded.

"Oh look, it's a karoke machine," Conner said.

"Oh God no," Eric protested, as Conner poked around with the machine and picked a song. Cole put his hand over his eyes in embarrassment.

"It's my red initiation all over again," Cole remembered or rather was told how he drunk serenaded his fellow reds.

"Quick…someone find a camera," Wes called.

"Got it," Billy called," as he set it up on a tripod and hit record, as Conner started a very bad rendition of one of his girlfriend's hit songs.

"Kira is going to murder him," Ethan laughed, as Conner rattled off key repeating "freak you out". Jason and Tommy were trying not to laugh, but failing miserably.

"What a light weight. He only had a couple drinks," Zhane said, shaking his head in amusement.

"And I thought you were a bad singer," Andros ribbed his best friend.

"Hey…I am a great singer. Karone said so," Zhane protested. Andros snorted.

"My sister is a really good liar," he replied.

"He sounds like a dying Tengu bird," Dex piped in, causing the rest of them to collapse into laughs. Conner, oblivious to the scrutiny, continued to slaughter one of his girlfriend's biggest hits.

"Okay jock boy, I think you're done now," Ethan said, as he took the microphone from Conner.

"But I'm singin'," Conner slurred.

"And now you're done singing," Ethan said, as he sat him down on the couch.

"Are you feeling anything yet?" Tommy asked, looking to Hunter and Shane.

"I think I am…whatever is in those Bulkmeier surprise's is probably going to kick my ass soon," Shane said. Hunter shrugged.

"I'm feeling a little buzz, but it's fading fast," Hunter replied. Jason shook his head.

"Amazing…I'd be passed out after all the crap we've given you so far," Jason replied.

* * *

_**The Living Room**_

"Here you go ladies, but I didn't have any room on the tray for any bowls," Alpha said, as he set down a large tray with several cartons of ice cream in various flavors and a pile of spoon.

"That's okay Alpha, we don't need bowls," Kimberly said, as she took a spoon and dipped it in the mint chocolate chip flavored carton.

"This was such a good idea," Tori said, as she ate a spoonful of chocolate. They were all in their pajamas and they currently had a romantic comedy playing on the big screen TV.

"I love Hunter and the rest of the guys, but I could really get used to girls night once in a while," Tori added.

"We need this, because too much testastrone, especially the ranger male variety, will make you go bat crap crazy," Tanya joked.

"Yeah and girls nights are perfect for getting to know each other better, especially our newest editions," Aisha said, referring to Rose and Ronny, as well as Carly.

"I know we've already said it, but we're so sorry for the choices we made," Rose said.

"And ashamed," Ronnie added.

"No more of that girls, all is forgiven. You were in a very tough place and it took immense courage to separate yourselves from two of your teammates," Trini said encouragingly.

"Trini's right. Now, what's your poison?" Kim asked, pointing at the ice cream. Rose smiled.

"Chocolate chip please," she requested.

"Vanilla and pass the chocolate syrup as well," Ronnie said.

"Good choice," Aisha said, as she munched on some rocky road.

"Rocky road?" Kim asked with a giggle. Aisha rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm eating an ice cream that just happens to have my husband's name in it. It's always been my favorite and he always teases me about it," Aisha replied.

"That sounds like Rocko," Tanya said.

"Speaking of the guys…is it safe to say that you and the amazing Technicolor ranger are an item again?" Trini asked. Kim rolled her eyes.

"Yes Tommy and I are back together," Kim replied.

"They're not the only ones back together," Aisha said, as she nudged Tanya, who smiled.

"Yeah, I got my Froggie back," she replied.

"I'm so glad for you both," Kat said, as she hugged them both.

"Thanks girl, but don't you give up hope yet. The right guy is out there for you too," Tanya assured her.

"I don't know about that anymore," Kat replied. They were about to reassure her when they heard tiny footfalls on the stairs. Trina was coming down the stairs, rubbing her eyes like she had been crying, and clutching a stuffed wolf that her father had given to her even before she could remember.

"Trina…what's the matter, sweetheart?" Kat asked. The others watched, as Katherine instantly went into mother mode. Aisha herself knew exactly what scene this was as she and Rocky had experienced the occasional nightmare with Olivia.

"I had a bad dream," Trina sniffled. Kat immediately picked her up and cuddled her close.

"It's all right baby," she cooed, as she stroked her hair.

"Let's go find your daddy, okay?" Kat asked. Trina nodded and laid her head down on Kat's shoulder.

"I'll be back girls," Kat said simply, as she headed downstairs to find Billy.

"I wish we could get her to see what a wonderful person she is again," Kimberly said wistfully. Aisha smiled knowingly.

"Somehow I think a certain wolfman might do that for us," Aisha suspected…

* * *

_In the next chapter, Billy and Kat have a moment, the other continue to relax, and the flash drive reveals the zords the government has built using the old Thunder zord technology, which also leads Tori to a painful discovery. _


	30. Chapter 29: Lightning

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 29! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

Harry2: Yep, Ivan isn't going to like Vile's interferrance. Things will be interesting. Glad you're enjoying.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Yes, unfortunately, Tori is in for a little heartbreaking news.

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter. As for the rangers, they will eventually get their lives back, but there is a long road ahead and many battles in store. :)

fallingstar22: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Yeah, Kira will be a little miffed if she hears that he slaughtered her song. As for Kat and Billy, slowly but surely. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep, Conner is hilarious. And Hunter finally gets tipsy in this chapter for a while. There is a Billy/Kat moment coming. And yep, Vile is back!

PRfansince93: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter is a mix of good and not so good, with probably more not so good on the way. Enjoy!

garnetred: Yep, Vile is alive and things are going to get even more interesting. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Lmv16: It's never too late. Glad you like the story. Enjoy this next chapter. :)

Skull RiderSP: Yep, Vile is back. As for Billy and Kat, slowly but surely. Enjoy! :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 29: Lightning

_I've been addicted to you  
Since the first hit  
Out of control like a surge of electric_

_Yeah, your skin_  
_The touch, the kiss_  
_The rush, too much_  
_And here it comes_

_When your lips touch mine_  
_It's the kiss of life_  
_I know_  
_I know that it's a little bit frightening_  
_We might as well be playing_  
_With lightning_

_We touch like,_  
_Like it's our first time_  
_Oh oh_  
_I know that it's a little bit frightening_  
_We might as well be playing_  
_With lightning now_

_**Song: Lightning**_

_**Artist: The Wanted**_

* * *

**_The Legacy Compound_**

Fortunately by the time Kat was coming down the stairs, Shane was singing and it was easy on the ears. The red wind ranger wasn't quite drunk yet, but loosened up enough that his usual control was gone. Kat smirked, as she saw the typical sight of Tommy and Jason arm wrestling, while Conner was passed out on the couch already, and many of the others were doing shots. Billy spotted her and his daughter in her arms, immediately coming to her.

"Is she okay?" he asked in concern. Kat nodded.

"She came down and said she had a nightmare. I picked her up and told her we would come find you," Kat told him. Billy nodded and took his sleepy daughter from her, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thanks, I'll take her back upstairs," Billy said. Kat nodded.

"I'll come with you if you don't mind. I need to check on Aiden," Kat stated, as she walked upstairs with him.

"Thanks again for comforting her. She's completely at ease with you, though I shouldn't be surprised," he said.

"Why do you say that?" Kat asked.

"Come on Kat, you're amazing with kids. Trina is very shy and the fact that you were able to comfort her so easily says a lot," Billy replied. Kat smiled shyly.

"Aiden is no stranger to nightmares so it was a familiar scene to me," Kat said.

"That man should have never been allowed to hurt you. He had no right to ever put his hands on you," Billy replied.

"I let him," Kat said quietly. Billy stopped and looked at her.

"No Kat…you didn't let him. No one lets someone do that to them. I think part of you is still letting him chip away at your self-worth though and I wish you could see what the rest of us see in you," Billy said quietly, as he went into the room Trina shared with Olivia and quietly put her back to bed, careful not to wake Olivia and closed the door quietly behind him.

"What exactly is that you see?" Kat asked, having contemplated his words for a few moments.

"You have to ask?" he questioned. She shrugged.

"I guess I do…I've made so many mistakes," Kat said, as she finally broke down. Billy hugged her tightly and let her cry on his shoulder, while he stroked her hair comfortingly.

"When I look at you, I see an incredibly beautiful woman and not just on the outside, but inside as well. I see a wonderful, dedicated mother, who would do absolutely anything for her child, even take multiple types of abuse to protect her son, which makes you the most courageous woman I'm privileged to know," he said, as he looked into her tear filled blue eyes.

"I see a woman so brave and strong that she broke an evil spell on her own and then stood up to those who had wronged her with no ranger powers, knowing very well that they could kill her very easily just to help six people she barely knew," he continued.

"I see a woman that is one of the most talented ballet dancers I've ever seen, but yet she remains humble and true to her heart. A heart that's been ravaged by pain, yet still holds so much love," he added. Kat smiled and hugged him again.

"Thank you…" she sniffed.

"Everything I said is true and I'm just going to keep telling you until I get it through your head," he replied. She nodded.

"I'm pretty wiped out. Can you tell the girls that I decided to turn in for the night?" she asked. He nodded and she left him stunned, as she kissed his cheek and disappeared into her room.

* * *

It had taken nearly all night, but they finally had exceeded Hunter's tolerance and he was drunk. Zedd warned them though it would wear off faster than it would on a normal man, so they had hit record on the camera. Most were laughing, including Jason and Tommy, Conner was still passed out, Shane looked like he was enjoying the music, which clearly meant he was drunk too, Trent looked like he wanted to kill something, namely Hunter and Blake, and a plastered Dustin was dancing…badly. And Zedd looked positively mortified; as he witnessed his nephew rap on stage and his nephew by extension contribute to his delinquency by spinning at the turntable for him.

"My God, my nephew is Vanilla Ice," Zedd mumbled, causing Tommy, Jason, Adam, Rocky, and most of the others bust up laughing even more.

"I gotta admit, he's not really that bad and Blake is killing those turntables," Ethan mentioned.

"You better never show that damned tape to Dulcea or I'm toast," Zedd threatened.

"Oh come on, what's the worst she's going to do?" Jason asked.

"Well, one time Zander and I got drunk, in the years before we were at each other's throats, and we embarrassed the life out of her at one of the palace balls her mother was having," Zedd began to tell.

"What did she do?" Ethan asked.

"Well, once we were sober, we faced a very irate princess, Zander groveled for her forgiveness. He slept on the sofa that night, but I spent the night as a toad for being the instigator," Zedd replied. Tommy nearly spit out his drink.

"She seriously turned you into a toad?" he asked in disbelief. He nodded.

"She regretted it the next morning and apologized profusely, but her wrath in the moment is something you don't want to endure," he replied.

"Yeah, she can hand all our asses to us," Tommy agreed.

"Then we save it and embarrass the living hell out of him during his future bachelor party, assuming that he's going to propose to Tori any time soon," Rocky suggested.

"Oh he is," Zedd assured.

"Wow, I'm so thirsty," Hunter said, as he ran sloppily to the bar and steadied himself.

"Oh great, an energetic drunk," Adam quipped. The blonde reached for another drink, but Zedd switched it out with water. Hunter didn't notice and gulped down the liquid.

"That figures…I get tired when I get drunk and he runs ninety miles an hour when he's drunk," Tommy said sarcastically.

"You guys should come sing…it's fun," Hunter said, as he stumbled on his way across the room, knocking into one of the wooden barstool. Most people would have tripped and fallen over the object. But in his drunken state, Hunter rather found the stool now in two pieces.

"Oh…oops…" he said, shrugging, as Zedd shook his head.

"I really hope all that crap wears off soon. I forgot how destructive he might be if he doesn't have the mental capacity to control his strength," Zedd said, as the guys laughed.

"You just can't get more entertaining than this," Jason joked.

"Dude!" Dustin cried, as he Hunter bumped into him and sent him flying to the floor.

"Oh sorry dude, I didn't see you," Hunter said, as he clumsily and quite literally picked Dustin up and set him back on his feet, causing the rest of them to erupt in laughter again.

* * *

They heard the laughter from downstairs and they shook their heads, laughing at how boisterous the guys could get when they were allowed to unwind a little.

"Thank God they're relaxing a little. We've all been wound way too tightly lately," Aisha said. They saw Rita's face, as she sat with Madison and Vida, and it was a look of pure guilt.

"This isn't your fault Rita, you know that, right?" Kim asked. The former villain nodded.

"I know, but he is my father and if really is still alive, then things will only get worse. His hunger for vengeance equals, if not exceeds, Ivan Ooze's. And he delights in causing pain and suffering to all. Those he holds a grudge against will never know peace as long as he exists," Rita said sadly, glancing at Tori. The blonde shook her head.

"Kim is right. No matter what Vile does, it's not your fault. Hunter will be fine, I have to believe that," Tori replied, trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

"She's right, enough of the gloom and doom talk. We've eaten ice cream and watched chick flicks, so it's time to cover the third ingredient in that's always covered in girl's night," Aisha said.

"What's that?" Karone asked curiously.

"Talking about the boys, of course," Tanya answered, as they giggled.

"What about them? I don't know about all of you, but the ones on my team are annoying, especially Xander. I mean, he flirts with every girl he sees. And he's always dating these bimbos," Vida complained. The girls erupted in giggles and the pink Mystic glared at them.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Sounds like someone has a little crush," Aisha pointed out.

"On Xander? Yuck, he wishes," Vida spat, as she crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"She sounds like you a few years ago when you were still trying to deny your feelings for Hunter," Kira pointed out. Tori shrugged.

"Dancing around each other for a while just made everything more interesting," Tori replied.

"Not to mention it probably made the sex hotter when you finally did the deed," Kira said bluntly, causing Tori to nearly spit out her drink.

"Kira…" she scolded, but the singer just shrugged.

"I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be quite that good. I mean…it has to have something to do with being a ranger, right?" Kira asked, looking to the older women in the room.

"The power has something to do with it, if you're looking for a scientific answer. Our reflexes are sharper, our energy levels tend to be higher, our recovery speed is enhanced, and most of us are in peak physical condition," Trini replied, as she sipped at her daiquiri.

"And emotionally, we've all been through some pretty amazing stuff, some good, and some downright shitty. I think we all feel things more deeply and realize what's important faster than those who haven't experienced what we have. We've all stared death and destruction in the face countless times," Aisha added.

"And so when we come together, the experience can be mind-blowing," Kimberly added.

"Speaking from experience?" Tanya asked coyly. Kimberly smiled shyly.

"Well, let's put it this way, I've been with a ranger male and I've been with what could be considered an ordinary man and there's just no comparison," Kimberly said.

"I can attest to that too," Tanya chimed in.

"Aw…did Frog boy rock your world?" Aisha teased.

"It's always the quiet ones. You never expect them to be so passionate and assertive, but let's just say that Adam's shyness went away pretty quickly," Tanya replied with a grin.

"It can be amazing, but it doesn't always end well," Taylor chimed in.

"Well, it could be better if you and Eric weren't so stubborn. Just apologize and make up already," Alyssa pushed.

"Me apologize?" Taylor asked in surprise.

"Does it really matter who did what or who said what? Love is all that matters," Alyssa reasoned. Taylor shook her head.

"Maybe to you Alyssa, but it's not that easy of a fix for us," Taylor replied.

"You let your careers get in the way and now you don't have careers. Seems to me that there's a huge problem you don't have anymore," Alyssa said.

"It wasn't just that. We fought all the time about everything to the point that it was just too exhausting to be together," Taylor replied.

"Suit yourself. What about you, Tori?" Alyssa asked.

"What about me?" Tori asked.

"Oh please, the whole brooding bad boy thing he has going on is so sexy," Ronny chimed in and then blushed when she realized what she had said aloud. The girls giggled.

"It is. I won't deny that. No one but me ever gets to see how sweet and passionate he can be," Tori gushed.

"So in other words, your thunder boy rocks your world or shall we say rumbles your world," Kira teased. Tori smacked her arm, as the others laughed and the blonde smirked.

"Earth shatteringly so," Tori revealed, as she took her glass to the kitchen.

"You're not quitting already, are you?" Carly asked.

"It is almost two in the morning," Tori replied.

"I guess we should clean up and turn in. We still have training tomorrow," Trini reasoned, as they dispersed.

* * *

Tommy wrapped his arms around Kimberly from behind, as he came into their bedroom. It was late and they had a lot of fun, but it was definitely time to turn in. Kim smiled and turned in his arms, drawing his lips into a passionate kiss.

"Did you eat a lot of ice cream?" he asked. She giggled.

"We polished off quite a few cartons. How about you though? You're not going to be visiting the porcelain God all night, are you?" she asked. He smiled.

"Nah, I've got a little buzz going on, but I'm not anywhere near drunk. Conner is smashed though," Tommy replied, with a chuckle.

"You guys are so mean. Poor kid," Kimberly said. Tommy chuckled again.

"It's not our fault that Conner can't hold his liquor, though if Kira finds out that he slaughtered one of her hit songs during his little drunken karaoke stint, she might be a little irritated with him," Tommy replied, now laughing.

"Like I said…mean," Kimberly said, as she got into bed.

"Nah, just guy stuff. If we didn't like each other, then we wouldn't give each other so much crap," Tommy reasoned.

"Whatever you say handsome," Kimberly replied, as they settled down under the covers, wrapped thoroughly in each other's arms.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Tori asked, as she and Hunter entered their bedroom.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just feel like I might have lost the last two hours. I don't really remember much from tonight," Hunter replied. Tori shook her head.

"So you were drunk?" she asked.

"Well…yeah, but I'm not now. It's weird, because it didn't last very long," he replied.

"Lucky for you. I have a feeling some of the other guys won't be so lucky," she said.

"And don't worry about those lost two hours. I've been told there's video," she added. He groaned.

"Great…" he grumbled. She smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So what did you tonight? I'm sure it was nothing embarrassing," he replied.

"Well, we ate ice cream, watched chick flicks that you guys would never go near…and talked about boys. You know, the usual girl stuff," she replied.

"Ugh…is that really what goes on when girls get together?" he groaned. She smacked him on the chest.

"Like trying to out drink each other is any better," she retorted.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Wait…talked about boys? What boys?" he asked curiously.

"Is your ego so huge that you think I talk about you to the other girls?" Tori asked coyly.

"Um…well, no I guess not," he said sheepishly, making her giggle.

"Of course I talked about you, silly and it was all very good," she promised, as their lips met in a tender kiss that slowly grew in passionate and intensity.

"You're always telling me that I'm everything to you and you have to know that I feel the same about you," Tori said passionately while gazing into his eyes. He smiled.

"I know and that's why I think we're ready for more," Hunter said, as he led her out onto the terrace outside their room. It was the perfect view with waves crashing on the beach, the familiar smell of ocean air that felt like home, the half-moon shining above them with a wealth of stars blanketing the midnight sky.

"The sky is beautiful, but what are we doing out here? And what do you mean by more?" she asked.

"I need the perfect backdrop and this is just about as perfect as it gets," he replied, indicating their scenery.

"Backdrop for what?" she asked, but could only gasp, as he dropped to one knee. He smiled and took her hand, as she felt tears prick her eyes.

"Victoria Lynn Hanson, will you do make me the luckiest man in the universe and marry me?" he asked passionately, as he held the ring before her. She nodded her head eagerly.

"Yes," Tori said. Hunter smiled and she tackled him with a hug, as he got to his feet. She planted her lips on his in a series of short, but passionate kisses.

"I love you so much," she cried.

"I love you too, more than my own life," he said passionately, as he slid the ring on her finger. Tori looked at it amazement.

"It's my mother's ring," he told her, answering the question he knew was on her mind.

"Your mother's?" she asked in amazement. He nodded.

"She gave it to me for you. It's been passed down in my father's family to the first son in every generation for thousands of years. It's enchanted," Hunter replied.

"Enchanted?" she asked curiously. He nodded.

"On my mother's finger, it was a completely different looking ring. She told me to imagine what I would like the ring to look like when I put it on your finger. This was the result," he explained.

"You did very well, it's perfect," she replied, as she kissed him again.

"It's nice out here…but I think it would be even nicer in bed," she hinted, as their lips met again. Like she weighed nothing, he swept her into his arms and carried her back inside.

* * *

**_Ranger Ops_**

"It's done," Cam said, as he sat in his place at the Ops screen. Billy and Hayley were with him, as he opened the main file, littering the screen with even more files. It was still very early and they wanted to start sifting through the information.

"Should we get the others?" Hayley asked.

"Not yet. We need to sort through stuff and find the important gems first," Billy answered, as he scanned the file names, as Cam scrolled through them.

"Wait…go back," he interjected. Cam scrolled back to the last file and Billy read the file name out loud.

"95 Thunderzord wreckage…" Billy read in disbelief.

"What would they know about the Thunderzords?" Hayley wondered.

"In 1995, when we got back from the desert of despair, the wreckage was gone. It was always one of those loose ends we could never tie up. The command center had no power to teleport the wreckage back to the zord bay," Billy explained. Cam opened the file and they began to sift through the information.

Conner groaned and cringed at the nasty taste of bile in his mouth. He flushed the even nastier contents away and stumbled to the sink. He fumbled with the toothpaste and managed to get it on the toothbrush, before starting to brush. He felt and looked like death warmed over. He rinsed his mouth out and Kira opened the bathroom door.

"Here…take these," she ordered, as she handed him aspirin and a glass of water.

"Oh, you're an angel," he replied, as he tossed the pills in his mouth and washed them down.

"I swear…I'm never touching another drink again. I feel like shit," Conner complained.

"That's probably a good idea. Ethan told me that you only had a couple drinks," Kira quipped. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll never hear the end of it," he grumbled.

"Come on jock boy, you need more rest," Kira insisted, as she led him back to the bedroom.

"I don't believe this…" Cam uttered, as they sifted through the information.

"Okay, but maybe we're overreacting. I mean, the Thunderzords were amazing in their time, but we've since advanced tenfold in zord technology. What kind of threat do you think anything they may have built could be to the new zords?" Hayley questioned.

"Earth's technology has also grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade as well. We can't take this lightly. If they've given these scientists and engineers access not only to the best government technology, but zord technology as well, then there's no telling what kind of weapons they've come up with," Billy replied.

"I'm sure this file labeled project GAMA can tell us about exactly what they've been up to," Cam said, as a name of one of the people involved caught his eye.

"What the hell…" Cam said.

"What is it?" Hayley asked.

"This man, Peter Hanson…I know who he is," Cam said, as he opened the file, revealing details about the man's background and expertise.

"He's one of the engineers," Billy stated.

"He's also Tori's father," Cam spat.

"As in…Tori's dead father?" Hayley asked.

"Looks like he's not so dead after all," Cam spat, as he pushed himself away from the computer screen.

"Tori's father disappeared not long before she joined the Academy. He was presumed dead five years ago, but they never found a body or any trace of him whatsoever," Cam explained.

"And now it looks like he wasn't abducted at all. He left voluntarily to work for GAMA," Billy deduced.

"If he's still alive and she finds out that he _chose_ to leave her, especially with an unstable mother, then…" Hayley said.

"It's going to crush to her," Cam finished. Billy sighed and sat back in the chair.

"Call Tommy and Jason down here, along with Hunter, Tori, and Zedd. They need to know about the potential threat and what we've found out. We can relay it to the rest later," Billy ordered.

"We're going to tell her now?" Cam asked.

"Would you rather she find out from someone else? Because I'm sure Gorbin would just love to spring that on her in the middle of the next battle or something sadistic like that. I'm just trying to give her a small audience here," Billy explained. Cam nodded, agreeing that this was best, as he put out the call.

* * *

Jason groaned, as he turned over and found Trini gone, but she wasn't far and he saw her flipping through the news channels.

"Wow…I haven't drunk that much in a long time," he said. He wasn't severally hung over, but the room was spinning slightly and he found the sunlight in the room annoyingly intrusive. Trini smiled at her husband.

"There's coffee on your nightstand," she told him.

"Oh…you really are an angel," he replied gratefully, as he gulped down a big mouthful. She climbed back on the bed and pressed herself against his bare back, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He smiled and turned his head, as he kissed her lips.

"Let's go back to bed," he suggested huskily.

"As much as I would love to, we can't. Billy wants you down in Ops as soon as possible. You have time for a quick shower," she replied. He groaned in annoyance.

"I'm gonna need a cold one now. Why just me?" Jason asked, as he started toward the bathroom.

"You're one of our esteemed leaders. I'm guessing he wants to show you, Tommy, and Hunter something first," Trini replied.

"I hate being leader sometimes," Jason complained. Trini rolled her eyes at how untrue that statement was.

"No you don't," she replied, as he went to clean up.

* * *

Steam filled the bathroom, as the shower's hot water poured down on the shower's occupants. The water could have been cold and there would have still been steam, simply created by the two entwined bodies. Tori's wet hair was plastered on the porcelain wall, as Hunter pinned her there.

"Hunter…" she cried out. He sought her lips and kissed her deeply. She combed her fingers through his wet hair. Her legs were locked around his waist and he trailed kisses down her neck. He held her tightly, as he made love to her. She trailed kisses along his neck and shoulder, her tiny mewls of pleasure being music to his ears, as he drove himself closer and closer to completion...

As they slowly came down, she smiled and kissed him tenderly. He held her tightly against him, as they sensually helped each other finish cleaning up, before finally emerging from the bathroom, each wrapped in a towel. As they dressed, Hunter's phone chimed and he read the text.

"Cam wants us down at Ranger Ops after breakfast," Hunter said, as she brushed her wet hair.

"That probably means they've already found something on that flash drive that we need to know about," she deduced, as they finished getting ready and quickly headed downstairs to eat, before they would head down to Ranger Ops.

* * *

**_Ranger Ops_**

Zedd sighed and shook his head.

"You know, I've done a lot of deplorable things in my life, but I'd like to think I would have never willingly abandoned my child if I had one," Zedd stated. He had arrived before the others and they had informed him ahead of time about what was going on.

"I never did get to ask you about that. What was the deal with Thrax? I mean…he couldn't have been born naturally," Billy said. Zedd smiled thinly.

"He wasn't…he was created with Finster's help in my waning days after the Machine Empire took over. I realized that I didn't have an heir and it was a foolish attempt, for all it accomplished was bringing another soulless monster into this world," Zedd replied regrettably.

"But you have Hunter now," Hayley reminded. Zedd smiled.

"Yes and he is my blood. And Tori will be my family as well," he said.

"This is going to hurt her, but she's strong and we'll all be there for her," Cam assured, as they heard them coming down the stairs with Jason and Tommy behind them.

"Did you find something?" Tommy asked.

"Possibly where it all began and how exactly they discovered our identities," Billy replied.

"This goes back to 1995?" Jason asked, as he started reading over the information.

"They got the Thunderzord wreckage?" Tommy asked in disbelief.

"They used the black box to compare to the voices of every citizen in Angel Grove over the age of fourteen and figured out our identities. Then they recruited the country's best scientists and engineers to work with our zord technology," Billy explained.

"We think that combined with the best technology that the government can offer that they may have come up with weapons that we shouldn't take lightly," Hayley continued.

"There's obviously a lot more information to go through and we may even find the designs for whatever they have built, but we decided to call a few of you down here now, because there's something else that effects someone here very personally," Cam stated.

"What are you talking about?" Hunter asked. Cam sighed and showed them a list of names.

"These are the people that GAMA recruited to work with the stolen zord wreckage. Each person has a signed affidavit on file that details the terms of their employment contract. Each individual had to sacrifice all ties with the outside world for this opportunity," Cam explained.

"What are you getting at Cam?" Hunter asked, as he heard Tori gasp beside him. He looked to her and found her face awe stricken, before looking back at the list of names.

"Peter Hanson?" he asked, as Cam nodded.

"My father…" Tori whispered.

"I'm sorry Tori…but we think your father has been alive all this time and…" Cam started.

"And that he left me by choice," she finished bitterly. She was stunned. In her wildest dreams, she had never thought even for a second that her dad had left her so he could work for the government. The father she knew had loved her too much for that, but she had been deluding herself. She felt Hunter tighten his hold around her and she blinked back tears. She would not cry over this…not now…not like this.

"Why would he work against the rangers when his own daughter is one?" Jason asked.

"She wasn't a ranger then. This was before she even joined the Academy," Cam replied.

"I need some air…" Tori said, as she squeezed Hunter's hand and jogged out of the room. He let her go reluctantly, knowing she would need a few moments.

"Uncle…can you tell Mom that I need to put training on hold for a little while?" Hunter asked. Zedd nodded.

"Training will wait. Just make sure she's okay," Zedd assured him, as he left in the direction she went.

* * *

Allison Hanson stumbled from the bathroom and to the kitchen. The California sunlight was like daggers to her eyes and she quickly pulled the blinds shut, before looking at the shameful state that her once beautiful beach house was in.

Long ago, she had once been as beautiful and radiant as her daughter, but years of alcohol abuse had caused her looks to fade prematurely. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she had done non-repairable damage to her body. Early in her marriage to Tori's father, things had been very good, but his long work hours and frequent business trips led to a lot of anxiety, as well as loneliness for her. It led to her beginning to self-medicate with alcohol, thus beginning her downward spiral. She had Tori when she was very young and she wasn't under any delusions about what kind of mother she had been. Terrible at best could describe her, but Peter had always seemed to make up for her faults as a parent. He was a wonderful father to Tori and she was daddy's little girl…until he just disappeared one day. She had lost herself in a bottle then and made one poor decision after another. She exposed Tori to men that should have never come within ten feet of her and she knew she was eternally lucky that her daughter's abilities to defend herself had saved her from one of her drunken, abusive boyfriends.

And now, her daughter was a fugitive…a power ranger of all things and a ninja! She understood now how she had fought off that scumbag Nick that had tried to rape her one night, the last night Tori had ever lived under her roof. She scoffed at the unfairness of it all. She was a free woman, who hadn't made a contribution to society in years, drunk most of the time, and had ignored her beautiful, precious child in her own quest of self-destruction. Her daughter was beautiful, fiery and independent. She was heroin that had helped save the world with her teammates and was still doing so. And yet, she was the fugitive. Who had ever first coined the phrase that life wasn't fair probably didn't realize was a gross understatement that would be. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by a voice that she hadn't heard in over ten years.

"Jesus Allison, if I didn't know that you drank all these yourself, I'd think you had a crazy party or something," the man's voice said, as he examined all the empty booze bottles.

"Peter…" she whispered in disbelief.

"In the flesh," he replied, as he looked around his old house.

"You really let things go to hell around here," he observed.

"And you just dropped off the face of the earth and shattered our little girl's heart," she retorted.

"Touché, I suppose I deserve that," he replied.

"Do you know that the state declared you dead five years ago? Where the hell have you been?" she screeched.

"I can't really tell you that. I just came by to see Tori," he replied calmly.

"You really think she's going to want to see you? And not that you would know this, since you left, but Tori hasn't lived here since she was sixteen," Allison spat back.

"But she does check on your drunken ass, just to make sure you're not dead from time to time, doesn't she?" he spat in return. She glared at him.

"Yes, but she hasn't been by lately. She…" Allison trailed off.

"She's a ranger? Yeah, I know all about that. I just need to talk to her," Peter replied. Allison shrugged.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, because I doubt she'll be coming around here anytime soon," Allison replied.

"I have a feeling that she will, so I'll be in the area. You might want to clean this place up if you can stay sober long enough. It's a pit," he said, as he walked out.


	31. Chapter 30: Has Our Time Run Out

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 30! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

RHatch89: Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

XRanger13 : Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. As for Hayley, I have decided on Hayley/Cam. I just haven't got the development on their relationship going yet, but it will be coming. This story is just so massive, but I won't forget them. :)

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. As for Tori and her dad, it will be a rocky road. And the Lightspeed powers were destroyed. Since they're not connected to the morphing grid, they can probably be repaired eventually, but that's much further down the road IF I decide to repair the Lightspeed morphers. :)

Harry2: Yep, it's the beginning for Billy and Kat. It will be slow, but it's coming. :) And prepare for those fireworks, because they start in this chapter. :)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Oh, you're so right. Buckle up for this chapter, cause Vile, Gorbin, and Ooze are all up to absolutely no good. :)

fallingstar22: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the girls/guy night scenes. And the Billy/Kat scene of course. Yep, Hunter and Tori are engaged. Unfortunately, evil is up to no good, so hang onto your seat. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045" Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Yes, Tori has found out about her dad, but she has Hunter. Unfortunately, evil won't stay quiet for long. Prepare for lots of action to come. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Glad you enjoyed the proposal. Yes, unfortunately Tor's dad has made some poor decisions and it has to get worse before it gets better I'm afraid. :)

MMPRFansince93: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Hunter will be there for her, but there is Ooze and Vile who will complicate things. Read on to find out. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. To be honest, I had forgotten about the mention that Tori had a sister in the series. For the purpose of this story, I am omitting that and she is an only child. I could change my mind down the road, but the cast of this story is so massive that I doubt I will add her. But I have been known to change my mind. Time will tell. :)

JEMILYLOVER1234" Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 30: Has Our Time Run Out

_Tell me, has our time run out?  
Tell me, is there no hope now?  
Tell me, will we make it out?  
I don't wanna be let down  
Tell me, has our time run out?_

_Nothing's safe, no requiem will ever bring you peace_  
_Throw away the guilt makes you incomplete_

_Tell me, has our time run out?_  
_Tell me, is there no hope now?_  
_Tell me, will we make it out?_  
_I don't wanna be let down_  
_Tell me, has our time run out?_

_**Song: Has Our Time Run Out**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

Blake had the sensation he was falling and in response, he naturally jerked and awoke with a start. However, opening his eyes was a big mistake, as the sunlight was like knives stabbing his corneas.

"Oh man…what the hell…" he groaned.

"Dammit…that's the last time I try to keep up with Hunter," he grumbled, as he stumbled to the bathroom. Somehow Shane had managed to get up before him, though he remembered that the red ranger had just as much to drink as he did. After a quick shower, he dressed, and then stumbled down to the kitchen, before collapsing at the breakfast table in defeat.

"Good morning," Carly said cheerfully, as she walked in.

"Ugh…not so loud," he groaned.

"Aww…bad hangover, huh?" she asked.

"I feel like somebody used my head as a soccer ball," he complained.

"Sit tight and I'll make you my special cure for hangovers," she told him, as she started taking things out of the fridge.

"You have a cure for hangovers?" he asked.

"Does that surprise you?" she questioned.

"I guess not, you just don't seem like the type that is careless enough to get drunk a lot. You're way too smart for that, unlike me," he replied. She smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment, but even I've had one too many before. Unfortunately, when MIT students get drunk, missing classes can have some pretty harsh penalties, so we have to come up with ways to get over our hangovers faster," she explained, as she popped several ingredients into a blender and Blake groaned, covering his ears when she turned the contraption on to frappe the concoction.

"Sorry," she apologized for the noise, as she poured the sickly looking green liquid into a glass and set it before him.

"You expect me to drink this?" he asked eyeing the glass with disgust.

"It tastes about as good as it looks, but I promise it will cure your hangover," she replied. He sighed.

"Down the hatch I guess," Blake said, as he held his breath. There was a look of pure disgust on his face, as he drank the thick liquid.

"Ugh…that's not a taste I'll forget anytime soon," he groaned. She smiled.

"I hope that you don't think of this stuff now every time you think of me," Carly joked. Blake smiled.

"Trust me, green liquid is the last thing I think of when I think about you," he replied. She blushed.

"Charmer," she teased.

"I don't know what's in that stuff, but I think I already feel my head clearing," he mentioned. She smiled.

"Told ya," she replied, as she sat down with a bowl of cereal.

"So, my Uncle Z was telling me that the island has some pretty prime terrain for dirt biking. I was thinking about checking it out and I was wondering if you'd like to come?" he asked.

"I'd love to, but I've never done motocross or dirt biking before," she replied shyly. He smiled.

"My bike seats two," Blake replied. She smiled.

"Then I'd really love to," she said. He smiled.

"Perfect, I'll see you later then. Thanks too by the way, I feel a lot better," Blake said.

"You're welcome," Carly replied, as she watched him go with a smile on her face.

* * *

**_Ranger Ops_**

Conner held Kira's hand as they entered Ranger Ops and he really hoped the aspirin he took would kick in already.

"Well, well, if it isn't our fearless leader," Trent teased.

"Yeah, I guess we know why you're the T-Rex now," Ethan prompted. Conner rolled his eyes.

"And why is that?" he asked, taking the bait.

"Because you totally sing like one!" Ethan joked, as he and Trent laughed.

"Haha…so funny," Conner replied sarcastically.

"I mean it Kira, he was bad. He shredded your poor song," Ethan went on.

"I know, but he spent most of the night on the bathroom floor so I think he's suffered enough," Kira said, taking pity on the man she loved.

"Thanks babe," Conner replied.

"Never sing one of my songs again, Tyranno boy," Kira warned in a no nonsense tone.

"Yes ma'am," Conner obliged, as they gathered around to hear what had been learned so far.

* * *

Tori sat on the beach and watched the perfect swells in the ocean that seemed to be calling to her. But surfing in her state of mind would be too dangerous, for her mind was elsewhere. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Olivia running up to her until the little girl was upon her. Tori managed a natural smile, as the chocolate haired bundle of energy put her tiny arms around Tori.

"Hi there Liv," she said.

"Tori, why are you sad?" Olivia asked, as she sat in Tori's lap. Aisha was watching nearby and she assumed that Rocky was inside with the others, learning of the situation.

"I just found out something that was kind of hard to hear, but it's nothing you have to worry about," she assured her.

"I'm gonna build you a sandcastle to make you feel better," Olivia jabbered, as she went to work just a few feet away in the sand, while Aisha sat down next to her.

"You look like you could use a shoulder," Aisha mentioned.

"My father is alive…" Tori said. Aisha's eyes widened.

"That's wonderful Tori," Aisha replied, but noticed the tears in the blonde's eyes.

"Isn't it?" she asked.

"He…he disappeared years ago and let us think he was dead so he could work for GAMA. He's been building zords to use against the invading aliens all these years. I think it's GAMA's goal to make rangers unnecessary," Tori said.

"Oh sweetie…" Aisha consoled the younger girl by stroking her blonde hair and leaning the girl's head on her shoulder.

"Why would he leave me…willingly?" Tori asked.

"Why is only going to make you angry, hon. There is going to be no answer that's a good enough reason to willingly leave your child behind. Whatever his reasons…I'm sure they were very misguided," Aisha replied.

"Olivia is so lucky to have you and Rocky as parents," Tori whispered.

"You'd never leave her," she added. Aisha smiled.

"Never willingly," Aisha assured, before looking at her.

"I know you want to hate him, but it's just not in your nature sweetie," Aisha told her.

"Then you think I should forgive him?" Tori asked.

"I didn't say that either. If you see him again, then hear him out, but he has to earn your forgiveness," Aisha advised, as she saw Hunter in the distance.

"But remember that no matter what, you are so loved and your ranger family has your back," Aisha reminded her, as she hugged her.

"I think someone else who loves you very much wants to make sure you're okay though," Aisha said, as she stood up and took Olivia inside with her. Hunter sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. Tori put her head on his shoulder and they were silent for some time

"Dumb question, but are you okay?" he asked. She nodded and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be fine, I guess I just have questions," Tori replied.

"Of course and you deserve answers," Hunter told her, as her phone chimed for a second time in just a few minutes. Tori sighed and checked it again.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's my mom, she must be sober today, because she keeps texting me. She apparently has seen the news and wants to know if I'm okay," Tori replied.

"Maybe we should go check on her," he suggested. Tori shook her head.

"It's too risky and you have training," Tori replied.

"It's not too risky if I go with you and training can wait. If I lose a battle because I missed one day of training, then I wasn't going to win that battle anyway," he said. She sighed, as her phone chimed again and she rolled her eyes.

"I doubt she'll leave me alone until I go see her, so let's get this over with," Tori said, as they stood up and brushed the sand off.

"Hey Cam, can you teleport Tori and I somewhere secluded in Blue Bay?" Hunter asked into his phone.

"_You sure that's a good idea?" _the green samurai asked.

"We'll be fine. No one will see us if we ninja streak and Tori needs to check on her mom," Hunter replied.

"_Okay…call me when you two are ready to come back," _Cam replied, as a beam of teleportation swept them up in a streak of crimson and aqua blue.

* * *

**_Ranger Ops_**

"Damn…how is she?" Kim asked, after finding out about the Thunderzord wreckage and Tori's father's secret involvement.

"She's Tori, so I'm sure she'll be fine. She always is somehow," Cam replied.

"Hunter's with her so she'll be okay," Kelly reasoned.

"I'd sure like to give her dad a piece of my mind though. I mean, what the hell had to go through his mind to get him to leave his daughter to work for the government?" Shane asked angrily. Tommy shook his head.

"From what we've gathered from the files, Gorbin used the very fear that a bunch of kids were responsible for protecting the planet and let's face it, no one has much faith in teenagers to make the right life choices, much less protect the planet," Tommy interjected.

"He may have convinced most of these people that they were leaving their families for the "greater good" and probably failed to tell them that the weapons they would be building might someday be turned on not just aliens, but rangers and even humanity. Obviously Vile has had some kind of influence on Gorbin," Jason added.

"But before 1998, Gorbin did this all on his own. Vile's appearance only fast tracked his operation," Billy reminded.

"I found it!" Carly called from her computer terminal.

"Found what?" Blake asked.

"Arrest records…they have T.J., Cassie, Carlos, Justin, and Zack, just like you guys suspected," Carly reported.

"The Stone Canyon military base's prison is where they are. It shouldn't be too much trouble to break them out," Tommy suggested.

"Gorbin is going to be expecting this from us so he may be ready for it. We need to be careful," Trini reminded them wisely.

"Trini's right, the mission will be a lot like the one in D.C. so same team. We'll leave in an hour and everyone else will standby for backup," Jason ordered.

* * *

**_Blue Bay Harbor_**

Tori knocked on her mother's door and they waited a few moments, before it opened. Allison Hanson gasped in surprise and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Tori, I've been so worried!" Allison gushed.

"I'm fine Mom," Tori replied.

"Hunter…it's good to see you too," Allison greeted. He nodded curtly.

"Mrs. Hanson," he said politely.

"Please come in, both of you," Allison said, as she let them in.

"Your texts were pretty urgent," Tori mentioned, as she looked around her old house.

"There's something I need to tell you and I thought it should come from me first," Allison replied.

"Really? I guess it's a good thing we got here when we did. You've only finished one bottle today," Tori said bitterly, as she spotted an empty vodka bottle.

"Sweetheart, I really have been trying," Allison tried to explain.

"Trying would be checking yourself into rehab," Tori snapped.

"Well, I thought we were going to be civil, but I guess that ship has sailed. I guess I'll just come right out and tell you," Allison said.

"If you're going to tell me that dad is alive, don't bother…I already know," Tori replied. Allison was silent, as she sank onto the sofa.

"He came here looking for you," Allison told her.

"He wouldn't have to look if he had never left," Tori retorted.

"I never wanted to leave, Victoria. I was just doing what I believed I had to in order to protect you," a male voice said. Tori's head snapped toward the door, as Peter Hanson stood there.

"Don't call me that," Tori snapped. He had always called her Victoria and she hadn't let anyone call her that since the day he left.

"Just give me a chance to explain," Peter pleaded. She took a deep breath, as she felt Hunter's calming hand on her shoulder.

"Fine…explain," she replied. Peter looked at the tall young man beside her.

"This is a family matter, young man. Perhaps you could wait outside," he suggested. Tori clenched her teeth.

"Hunter is my family and he's not going anywhere," Tori refuted, as she laced her fingers with his. It was then that Peter noticed the ring on his daughter's finger.

"When I was called to the GAMA project, I was told that I would be protecting the planet by doing what I was doing…that I would be protecting you. I had no idea you would get mixed up in all this," he stated.

"Gorbin doesn't care about the planet. He only cares about power and you helped hand him that power. Like we don't have enough enemies to fight," Tori snapped.

"Tori…you don't belong fighting in this…you're going to get hurt," Peter stressed.

"I'm exactly where I belong, dad. You're the one on the wrong side," Tori responded.

"She's right sir, Gorbin serves the President and he's not the man everyone thinks he is. He's been taken over by an evil being that is hell bent on destroying this planet," Hunter added.

"Destroying this planet…or destroying you, Mr. Bradley?" Peter questioned, silencing him.

"Gorbin seems to think that if you would just leave this planet that you would take Ivan Ooze and whoever else with you," Peter said.

"Gorbin is wrong. Ivan Ooze wants to conquer the universe. He's already destroyed and captured several allied planets," Hunter retorted.

"I can't believe you would even suggest that Hunter leave! Earth is his home, as much as it is for any of us. He's the man I love and I'm sorry daddy, but if you think whatever zords you've managed to build will be able to defeat Ivan Ooze, then you're in for a big disappointment," Tori said fiercely.

"That remains to be seen, sweetheart and you must know that I'm only trying to protect you," Peter said, but he knew instantly that it was the wrong thing to say.

"Protect me?" Tori asked incredulously.

"PROTECT ME? Where the hell have you been for the last eight years?" Tori screamed, finally losing her temper. Hunter put his arms around her and tried to calm her down, which seemed to help a little.

"You have no right…" Tori said, her voice quivering, as she turned to her fiancé.

"I want to go," she told him. Hunter nodded and led her past her parents and outside the beach house.

"Tori wait…please!" Peter pleaded, as he and Allison followed them out. But they were met by the same obstacle as the two younger people. General Gorbin stood in their path, with the blue and black Overdrive rangers flanking him, and at least two dozen GAMA guardians, armed to the teeth.

"General…what are you doing here?" Peter questioned.

"Please Mr. Hanson, I had you followed of course. I knew you would seek out your daughter the first chance you got and I knew that would in turn lead me right to him," Gorbin said, as he pointed at Hunter.

"What do you want?" Hunter snapped impatiently.

"I think you know the answer to that, Mr. Bradley. The President is very interested in meeting you," Gorbin replied.

"Well, you can tell Master Vile or whatever he wants to call himself to go to hell," Hunter retorted. Gorbin simply chuckled, as the GAMA guardians raised their weapons. The crimson ninja willed his prized weapon into sight and it appeared in a scabbard on his back. He drew his blade and crimson flames parted a path for them through the men, who scampered away from the flames.

"If you think you can just use your powers to get out of every situation, Mr. Bradley, then you are sadly mistaken," Gorbin called. The two lovers were about to disappear into their Ninja streak, when Hunter heard the whine of a blaster powering up. He turned to see a peculiar purplish beam of energy barreling toward them. He saw it on line to hit Tori and stepped in front of her.

"Thunder Shield!" he called, as the amethyst colored shield shimmered to life before him. What he didn't expect at all was the blast completely nullifying his shield and hitting him head on. He cried out in pain, as he collapsed to the sand.

"HUNTER!" Tori screamed, as she dove beside him. The Phoenix saber crashed to the sand beside him and his eyes widened, as he willed his body to move, but it ceased to obey.

"Tori…run…" he choked out through clenched teeth, as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"What?" she questioned.

"Tor…I can't move. Something in that beam has paralyzed me…run!" he cried. But she shook her head and willed her morpher into sight.

"Not a chance," she said fiercely, as she raised her arm to the sky.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!" she called, as her blue armor molded around her.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Guys…we've got problems!" Cam called, as those remaining gathered around his terminal.

"Hunter's been hit with some kind of paralyzing beam. Tori needs backup," Cam said.

"Kira and Ethan, let's go!" Conner called.

"It's like the beam that hit Mack!" Andrew cried. Billy nodded.

"Looks that way," he agreed.

"Gorbin said they were going to try and make one to take down Hunter, but I didn't actually think they would be able to do it," Andrew said in disbelief.

"Let's get out there!" Billy called, as Kim, Rocky, and Trini followed. Zedd watched the monitor with an expression of anger.

"This is Vile's doing…patch me through to Dulcea!" he requested. Cam did so and the beautiful Ninjetti Master appeared on the screen.

* * *

_**Stone Canyon Military Base**_

_**Prison barracks**_

"Man…this is inhumane," Zack griped, as he shoved the bowl of what they were calling food away. Justin held the spoon of thick, paste like oatmeal and shook the spoon, before shoving it away as well.

"They didn't spare a drop of water for the oatmeal this morning," he complained.

"I'll eat whatever they want me to if they'll just let me see Cas," T.J. growled, as he shook the bars angrily.

"Calm down Teej…they'll just send another soldier in here to threaten us again if you don't keep it down," Carlos snapped in annoyance.

"I don't care…I'm sick of this! They have no right to keep us locked up!" T.J. said angrily.

"You think I don't know that?" Carlos challenged, as he and his best friend got in each other's faces.

"Guys, if you don't stop fighting, I'm not going to be able to get you out," an unfamiliar voice said. The four men looked at each other and then behind them outside the cell, only to find none other than Adam Park standing before them.

"Adam!" Justin cried, but he was swiftly shushed.

"You get the key, Tom?" Adam asked, seemingly to thin air.

"Not really, I may be invisible, but it was on the guard's belt. I think floating keys might have tipped him off," Tommy replied, as he appeared.

"But Billy gave me this and it's better," Tommy added, as he used a handheld laser tool to melt the lock.

"Man, you don't know how glad we are to see you guys," Zack whispered.

"We have to get Cassie out. She's in the women's prison block," T.J. whispered.

"The girls and Blake went after her. Trent and Jason are keeping watch, but they're going to know we're here really soon," Tommy whispered back, as his phone vibrated.

"Talk to me Tanya," he said.

"_We've got Cassie, but they know we're here," _Tanya said, as she sounded winded.

"Dammit…let's go," Tommy called, as they started down the corridor.

"STOP!" the guards called, as they gave chase.

"Cam…can you get us out of here?" Jason called, as they met up where the corridors met.

"_Hang on…Tori and Hunter are under attack in Blue Bay Harbor. I'm teleporting the others there," _Cam responded, as Blake and the girls, including Cassie, joined them. T.J. hugged his wife fiercely and she sighed in relief.

"_Things just got worse in Blue Bay…Hunter's down," _Cam reported.

"What do you mean Hunter is down?" Blake asked into the device.

"_Some sort of ray hit him and it's paralyzed him. I'm sending the active rangers there and I'll bring the inactive ones back here. Stand by," _Cam called.

"Freeze!" the guards called.

"Stego shield!" Kat called, as she blocked them from getting to them. It proved to be long enough, as they soon disappeared in streaks of light.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

Tori crouched in fighting stance in front of her prone lover, as Gorbin smirked smugly at her, proudly holding the device that he had used on the crimson ranger.

"What did you hit him with?" Tori demanded to know.

"A simple electro-ion wave. It is very similar to the one we used on the android ranger, only this one has been modified specifically to your lover's hybrid DNA. He carelessly left behind a blood sample when you escaped us outside the waterfall entrance to your old base," Gorbin explained triumphantly. Tori turned her helmeted head to her father and he could almost see his daughter's blue eyes glaring at him.

"Now step aside, blue ranger. He'll be coming with us," Gorbin stated.

"Over my dead body," Tori growled. Gorbin chuckled.

"Well, if you insist," he responded, as he motioned to his armed men to shoot. But before they could, purple lightning struck the sand, throwing all present off their feet. From the smoke, a tall, creature emerged. Since the day he had turned their lives upside down, he had yet to meet them face to face on the battlefield. But Tori knew without a doubt that the monster striding toward them was Ivan Ooze himself. He was flanked by his daughter and an unknown Burlot general. Hoards of Tengus and Burmites swarmed around them. Several GAMA guardians cried out in agony, as the Burlot general pierced them with its tail and fed on them. Will and Dax were immediately occupied by the Tengu warriors, who were proving their worth as foot soldiers, while Tori continued to stand strong before her beloved.

"Greetings blue wind ranger. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, but I am Ivan Ooze," the purple being stated. Hunter struggled with all his might to overcome the paralysis, but to no avail.

"You're uglier than I expected," she spat back. He chuckled.

"Too kind…" Ivan joked, as he looked down at the blonde laying the sand, his eyes glowing purple.

"Son of Zander…at last we meet too. I am very much looking forward to making you suffer," Ivan promised. Tori sunk into a defensive stance and waited for the being or his daughter to make a move.

"Toxa…" Ivan motioned. The female creature raised her blade, challenging Tori, who called her Dolphin blades.

"I'm going to gut you like the fish you are, little girl," Toxa promised.

"Dolphins are mammals, not fish, stupid," Tori snapped. Toxa growled and charged at her.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Dammit…how could I have been so careless?!" Zedd exclaimed, as he and Cam observed the confrontation and heard how Gorbin's scientists had managed to use Hunter's DNA to build a weapon that would be ultimately very effective.

"We couldn't have known he would have gone so far as to have his forensics team dig Hunter's blood out of the dirt," Cam reminded him.

"_If Ivan Ooze is there, then Hunter and Tori are in mortal danger if he cannot access his Phoenix saber," _Dulcea said, her voice near frantic.

"We're sending the others. What else can we do? It could take hours to come up with something to reverse the paralysis of that blast," Cam said.

"_There is a way…magic can nullify the blast," _Dulcea suggested.

"Magic…but I thought Rita's magic was drained by the final battle with the Mystics?" Cam questioned.

"It sadly was. Nick and Maddie are still traveling to locate Udonna and Lianbow," Rita said sadly.

"Except she's talking about my magic," Zedd replied.

"I thought you lost your magic when Zordon's wave hit?" Hayley asked.

"No, I renounced magic when Zordon gave me a second chance. Power corrupted me once and I wasn't about to let it happen again," Zedd replied.

"_Zedd…you are a different person now. Power won't corrupt you, because you have love in your heart. But if you don't do something, my son's fate will be the same as my husband's," _Dulcea pleaded. Zedd glanced at the other screen and saw his nephew struggling to will his body to move. He flinched and his jaw clenched in anger.

"All right…you have my staff?" Zedd relented. Dulcea smiled, as a long, silver staff appeared in his hand.

"_I know it has a lot of bad memories, but use it this time to save Hunter," _Dulcea pleaded, as something else appeared in his hand.

"_And keep this in case you need it. After all, it was originally yours and Tommy will understand," _Dulcea said, as the green Dragon dagger gleamed brilliantly in his hand.

"The green coin was originally yours?" Hayley asked in surprise.

"Yes, like Blake, I have the Ninjetti spirit of the dragon. Long ago, I tainted the coin when I turned evil and am nearly solely responsible for Tommy's stint as the evil green ranger," Zedd confessed.

"And the only one that's still blaming you is you," Cam reminded. Zedd allowed himself a small smile.

"Can you teleport me to Blue Bay Harbor?" Zedd asked.

"Yes and I'm going with you," Cam replied, as his amulet became full sized.

"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!" he called, as his green armor molded around him and the two of them disappeared in twin green streaks of teleportation.


	32. Chapter 31: Radioactive

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 31! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, more action ahead. Glad you're enjoying!

XRanger13: Thanks, glad you liked it. I haven't made any final decisions on Trent yet, but I will give him a story eventually. With such a large cast, it can be difficult to work everyone in, but I won't leave any loose ends. :)

RHatch89: Glad you liked it so much!

TommyOliverMMPRFan : Yep, their weapons are unfortunately effective. More action ahead. :)

Lmv16: Thanks, glad you like the story. :)

fallingstar22: Yeah, unfortunately, things between Tori and her dad will get worse before they get better. As for Zedd, the green coin was drained. I'm eventually going to tell that story from Zedd's POV. Basically, when he was his evil incarnate, he hated that coin so much because it was his last link to the part of him that was once good, which was why he went to such great lengths to destroy the green powers. I am going with the theory that the green power coin and dragon dagger/zord operate as separate entities, so no green ranger(unless I change my mind down the road), but I believe the dragonzord may make a future appearance. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep, the danger just keeps coming and unfortunately, it will get worse before it gets better. Hang onto your seat. :)

Harry2: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

MMPRFansince93: Yep, some major stuff is going down. However, Zedd drained the green coin. I'm actually going with the theory that the green coin operates separately from the dragonzord/dragon dagger. A back story from Zedd's POV and his reasons for draining Tommy's(his own as well) coin will be told in later chapters. :)

garnetred: Yeah, it was gutsy of him, but you know Ivan Ooze...he has a trump card. Hang onto your seat. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 31: Radioactive

_I'm waking up to ash and dust  
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust  
I'm breathing in the chemicals_

_I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus_  
_This is it, the apocalypse_  
_Whoa_

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones_  
_Enough to make my systems blow_  
_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive_  
_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive_

_**Song: Radioactive**_

_**Artist: Imagine Dragons**_

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor Beach**_

Tori growled under her helmet, as she and Toxa rolled to the sand, while the purple creature attempted to wrap her hands around the blue ranger's neck. The water ninja kicked her feet into the alien woman's abdomen, throwing her off into the sand. Jumping to her feet, she guarded with her dolphin blades, as the evil woman launched a purple energy orb at her.

"Time to die, little dolphin…" Toxa hissed, as the orb grew in size. It sizzled and popped violently, as it made contact with her blades. She struggled to keep it away, but she felt her feet being pushed back. Just as she thought it would break through and strike her, a pink arrow struck Toxa, followed by a yellow ninja beam, which blew her off her feet and cancelled her energy blast.

"Back off, you slimy bitch," Kimberly spat.

"You okay Tor?" Dustin asked, as he helped steady her.

"Yeah, thanks guys, but Hunter isn't!" she called, as she turned to find Ivan Ooze hovering over her beloved, a look of pure hatred seeping from his eyes.

"How predictable, the cavalry has arrived," Ivan quipped, as he noticed the arrival of the other rangers.

"They can't save you from me though. Thanks to your parents and your uncle, I spent six thousand years locked in a hyper lock chamber. And then your wench of a mother had the audacity to awaken the Ninjetti spirits in your uncle's chosen brats," Ooze spat.

"But all their hard work to protect Zander's precious sire has been for naught. I hope they're all watching this," Ivan hissed, as purple lightning poured from his fingertips and into Hunter's paralyzed form.

"HUNTER!" Tori screamed, as his painful howls rang out. Dustin tried to hold her back, but she jerked away from his grip and ran at the monster.

"TORI NO!" Aisha cried. Ivan saw her coming and hit her with a smaller blast. She cried out and collapsed to the sand in pain.

"Tor…" Hunter cried out through his painful screams. Ivan scoffed.

"Just like your father…trying to protect the one you love when you should be worried about yourself," he spat, as he kicked the blue ranger away. She rolled and her morph failed, leaving her prone in the middle of the battlefield.

"No…" he cried.

"I guess it's only fitting torture that you watch me kill her before I kill you," he said deviously, as he raised his hand toward her unconscious form.

"NO…" Hunter pleaded. But a sudden blast of silver lightning struck the purple monster and threw him back. His attack on Hunter ceased and the crimson ranger looked up, only to see a silver Z gleaming in the sunlight. Hunter saw Cam carry Tori off to the side and out of the line of fire, while his Uncle stood tall, glaring at the evil being.

"Well, well, so nice of you to join us Zedd," Ivan hissed, as he climbed to his feet. Zedd raised his staff and prepared to use it free his nephew when Ivan raised his hand.

"Ah…I wouldn't do that if I were you, Zeddy," Ivan hissed.

"And just why the hell wouldn't I? Zedd spat back.

"Because if you free your beloved nephew…they die…" Ivan stated, as he motioned behind him with his hand. In an instant, General Xinshing appeared with six young people, dirty, battered, and wounded.

"Leo!" Wes cried.

"The Galaxy rangers have been my honored guests for the last few days," Ivan goaded.

"BASTARD!" Tommy cried, as he started toward him.

"Easy White ranger, unless you wish to see poor little Maya's blood all over your white boots," Ivan threatened, as Xinshing held his blade to the yellow Galaxy ranger's throat. Her eyes were wide with fear and Tommy stopped in his tracks.

"What do you want Ooze?" Zedd snapped. The purple monster chuckled.

"Simple…I propose an exchange…" Ivan replied.

"Not going to happen," Zedd refuted. Ivan chuckled.

"So quick to doom these other rangers in favor of your nephew? How selfish Zedd. It seems you haven't changed much at all," Ivan insulted.

"They live if I agree…to be your prisoner?" Hunter asked in a pained voice. Ivan cackled.

"So noble is he…definitely your stupid brother's spawn," Ivan spat.

"Hunter…" Zedd tried to reason with him.

"Uncle…I can't let them die just to save my own skin," Hunter replied.

"They will die anyway without you leading the fight! Everyone on this planet, including Tori, will die!" Zedd roared.

"They'll fight on…and they'll win. I have to believe that," Hunter said, trying to force the pain from his voice.

"Tell Tori…I love her," he said, as he turned burning blue eyes to the monster above him.

"You let them go and we have a deal," Hunter stated. Ivan raised his hand and the Galaxy rangers were released from their bonds. General Xinshing came forward and grabbed Hunter by the shirt and in a flash, he, Ivan Ooze, Toxa were gone. But they had left the Burlot General and the army of foot soldiers behind to fight.

"No…NOOOO!" Zedd screamed, as he fell to his knees. He had failed his brother once again, even after reclaiming his magic in an attempt to use it for good for once. Blake knelt beside him and his visor opened.

"We'll get him back, Uncle Z…" Blake assured him.

"In the meantime, we still have problems!" Shane called, as he fought off several Ooze men.

"Uh guys…we've got even bigger problems!" Jason called, as they looked out over the ocean, only to see two of Ivan's Ecto morphicon creatures trashing the city.

"Tori's down. Can we still call the Megazord?" Shane asked.

"Without Hunter, there's no Phoenix zord, but I can have Hayley put the dolphin zord on remote so you and Dustin can form the Storm Megazord," Cam said, as they, the Ninjetti rangers, and the Dino rangers called their zords into action.

"Come on Dax, let's show them our new hardware," Will said, as he smirked at Zedd who was climbing to his feet. He watched the zords that Will and Dax had at their disposal. They were upright singly manned zords that reminded him of the Shogun zords in style, though without any animal spirit moniker. Instead, they looked very powerful, but were generic in the fact that they had no personifying attributes that most ranger zords had. The blue and black Overdrive rangers teleported to the cockpits of their new zords and joined the fight. For the moment at least they were battling the same enemy as the rangers, so he was grateful for their assistance. He decided he would take Tori back to Ranger Ops to have Dana look her over for injuries, before he would continue to monitor the battle in case the Dragonzord became necessary. As he stepped toward her, he heard the whine of a blaster powering up.

"Don't take another step toward her," Peter warned.

"I'm taking her back home to our base to have our doctor look her over. She will be safe," Zedd assured him.

"She's my daughter and she's coming with me," Peter stated.

"You're seriously going to let that man anywhere near your little girl? He locks up rangers who refuse to work for him!" Zedd protested, as he pointed at Gorbin.

"She'll be safe with me, the General has assured me," Peter responded.

"She's my nephew's fiancé and in his absence, it falls to me to look after her for him," Zedd argued.

"Your nephew is a dead man and he won't be marrying my little girl if I have anything to say about it," Peter replied bitterly. Zedd smirked.

"You really have no idea what kind of woman your daughter has become, do you? She won't stand for you making her decisions for her. She is positively one of the most independent young women I know. And Hunter is far from dead…I assure you," Zedd spat, as he started toward her again.

"I warned you, alien scum," Peter threatened, as he fired the ion beam, striking Zedd, who fell paralyzed to the sand.

"Good work, Mr. Hanson. Bring them both," Gorbin ordered to his men, who grabbed a hold of Zedd's arms, while Peter scooped Tori up.

"Bring that staff and the sword," Gorbin barked. One man grabbed Zedd's Z staff and the dragon dagger, while another tried to pick up Hunter's abandoned sword. But he found that it wouldn't budge.

"It won't move," the man said, as he struggled.

"Sorry boys, but no one but my nephew can lift that sword," Zedd said smugly.

"Leave it. Let's go before the brats realize we've got her and the old wizard," Gorbin spat.

"I'm a sorcerer, moron. There's a difference," Zedd quipped.

"Shut up, you're under arrest nevertheless and you will be held accountable for all your crimes, _Lord_ Zedd," Gorbin spat, as he and Tori were put into the back of Gorbin's Hummer.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

Rita watched the scene on the Ranger Ops viewing screen helplessly, wishing that her own magic had not all been sacrificed.

"Hayley…you must teleport me to that beach," Rita pleaded.

"They'll just capture you too. Anyone I send after them right now will just be disabled with that Ion ray. If it disabled Hunter, then none of us are safe, but Carly is already working on trying to figure out how to cancel it…with technology rather than magic," Hayley assured her, as she continued to monitor the zord battle.

* * *

_**Downtown Blue Bay Harbor**_

The Storm Megazord cockpit shook violently, tossing Dustin and Shane around inside like ragdolls.

"Dammit…this little bastard needs to die," Shane growled, as he, with Dustin's help, pulled the Megazord to its feet again. Cam and Blake were in their respective zords using the warrior modes. The Ninjetti Megazord fought with them, while the Dinos took on the other Ecto Morphicon.

"Dude…I'm out of ideas…" Dustin lamented.

"Well I'm not…Hawk blade, cyclone attack!" Shane called, as he employed an air attack with destructive winds equal to those of a powerful tornado. It was successful in blowing the ooze filled serpent zord into the side of a building. The Ninjetti Megazord grabbed the ecto morphicon by the tail and whipped it around into another building. The mechanical creature roared angrily and slithered into an upright position, preparing to strike. Laser fire pelted it though and it sustained heavy damage. The rangers looked to find that Will and Dax's new zords had delivered the blasts.

"They're helping us?" Dustin asked.

"_No, they're just showing up what their stolen zord technology can do,"_ Tommy's voice sounded over the comm.

"_At least we're fighting one enemy and not each other,"_ Cam reminded, as he launched a blizzard attack. The creature screeched, as it became covered in snow and Tommy pelted it with his falcon lasers. The Ninjettii Megazord powered up the power zord before it could recover and delivered the final blow. The serpent Ecto morphicon exploded, sending debris flying in all directions.

"Thanks for the help," Shane said, trying to be the bigger person by thanking them.

"_We didn't do it to help you, but maybe now you'll realize that we're not just a couple of rookies," _Will responded.

"Dude…we're supposed to be on the same team. Your old Overdrive zords are just as powerful. Why keep working for that dickhead General?" Dustin asked.

"_Money and power, like it or not, that's what gets you places and I'm not interested in being on the side that's obviously going to lose, especially now that fire boy is probably being fried right now by Ooze himself. It was never personal, just business as they say," _Will responded stoically. Shane scoffed.

"Glad I was never a business man then. Watch your backs then, because Gorbin will stick a knife in yours the moment you're no longer useful," Shane warned, as they stood by in case the Dino rangers needed help handling the vulture Ecto-Morphicon.

The vulture creature hovered and pecked at the cockpit of the Thundersaurus Megazord, causing sparks to ensue.

"Dammit…time to clip his wings," Conner growled, as he forced him back with the Tyranno drill. In addition to Trent's own Drago Megazord, the other four Dino rangers had formed the newest Megazord: the Brachio Megazord. No longer just a carrier zord, the Brachio had folded and separated to form powerful legs. Kat's Stego zord became the torso, head and tail, while the Anklyo zord and Para zord became the arms. The Stego tail whipped the vulture into the side of a building and the Ankylo arm delivered a drill attack, causing the vulture Ecto Morphicon to sustain heavy damage.

"Let's fry this little bitch," Tanya said, as she unleashed her Para beam. It struck the mechanical monstrosity, lifting it high into the air. She punched the laser beam to full power and incinerated Ivan's creation to nothing more than pieces.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Medical Bay**_

"How far along are you?" Kendrix asked, as Alyssa treated the gash on her forehead. They had all five of the Galaxy rangers plus Mike in the med bay and she was helping Dana until Trini returned from battle.

"About five months," Alyssa responded.

"What happened on Mirinoi?" Dana asked, as she gently dabbed Leo's busted lip with an antibiotic cloth.

"Everything was fine that morning and then faster than we could blink; explosions were breaking out all over the city. We morphed and found the menace that was destroying everything. But we were no match. This guy was like twenty Trakeena's in her worst form," Leo said, recalling the devastating battle. They would all be dead right now if the green skinned aliens had not wanted them as prisoners.

"Who was that young man that gave himself up to Ivan Ooze for us?" Maya asked, as Mike sat beside her, their hands entwined.

"That was Hunter Bradley, the Crimson Phoenix ranger," Alyssa answered. Maya nodded.

"I thought I sensed both fire and thunder in his spirit. The legend is true then," she stated.

"What legend?" Kendrix asked curiously.

"The Legend of the Phoenix goes back centuries on Mirinoi, but I had no idea that there was a living Phoenix Ninjetti," Maya replied.

"I'm a little lost I guess," Damon admitted.

"Hunter's existence has been a very closely guarded secret for centuries," Rita said, as she entered to check on them.

"No serious injuries fortunately. You're all very lucky," Dana reported.

"What do you mean by centuries? That kid didn't look very old," Kai stated. Rita nodded.

"He is only twenty-four earth years, but was born six thousand years ago to Zander of Eltar and Dulcea of Phaedos," Rita began.

"Zander was thought to be the last Phoenix Ninjetti, according the legend," Maya said. Rita nodded.

"After Zander's death, in which he caused himself to reverse Master Vile's aging curse on his wife and protect his child from Vile's magic, Hunter remained on Phaedos with his mother for six thousand years. He, like her, did not age a day until it was time to send him to Earth," Rita explained.

"Zordon saw that his nephew was adopted by a loving couple, a pair of Thunder Ninjas, and he grew up knowing nothing of his true heritage. He served his time as the crimson ranger with his teammates four years ago and has only recently come into his true powers, as well as learning of his true heritage," Rita continued.

"Then the prophecy of the Chosen Twenty has come to pass?" Maya asked. Rita nodded.

"And we just handed the ranger that's supposed to save us all to Ivan Ooze?" Kai asked.

"Is it not in the nature of any ranger to sacrifice other people to save themselves?" Rita questioned. They shook their heads.

"No…any of us would have done the same," Leo stated.

"Ivan Ooze holds a terrible grudge against Zordon and Hunter's real parents. While the Phoenix is not easily killed, I am afraid my nephew will suffer immensely. We can only pray that he will find the will and strength to escape," Rita stated.

"He's your nephew too?" Kendrix asked. Rita smiled thinly.

"By marriage. Zedd was Zander's younger brother," she explained.

"Whoa…wait, Zordon and Lord Zedd share a nephew?" Kai asked. She nodded.

"Yes, though my husband is not the monster he once was. But Hunter has quite the family tree," she said fondly.

"He must be so worried about Hunter," Maya mentioned.

"Unfortunately, Ivan Ooze is only one problem," Rita said.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"Zedd and Tori have been captured by the government. Come to Ops and I'll let the others fill you in on the rest of the story," she said, as she led them from the medical bay down to Ranger Ops.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

Upon arrival on Ivan's massive ship, the paralysis that had kept him immobile had finally worn off. But his captivity was ensured, as he was placed in a cell behind electrified purple plasma bars. Normal bars couldn't be trusted to hold him, thanks to his super strength, but that didn't keep him from searching the cell for possible weaknesses.

"You're wasting your time," Toxa said, as she appeared outside his cell. Hunter glared at the purple skinned witch and ignored her, as a crimson fireball appeared in his palm.

"Go ahead and try to melt your way out. It won't do you any good," she warned.

"And why's that?" he snapped.

"Because this little cell has been designed specifically to hold you," Toxa said smugly.

"There's enough voltage in these plasma bars to injure even the mighty Phoenix. And the walls are coated with a special fire proof substance that will immediately squelch any attack you try," Toxa warned.

"Fine…you have me, so what now?" he asked. She smirked, as Ivan Ooze approached and Hunter's eyes widened, as he walked through the plasma bars like they were nothing.

"You, Mr. Bradley, are about to experience the most excruciating pain imaginable. And the most delicious part about it is that, since you're the Phoenix, you'll heal after I inflict my wrath upon you. And then…I get to start all over again, day after day, until my vengeance is fully complete," Ivan growled, as his purple eyes bored into the handsome young fighter that was the offspring of his long dead, but most hated enemy.

"I will have you cursing your father's name before I am done, for he is the reason you'll suffer!" Ooze growled.

"I will rip the flesh from your back, crush your bones to powder, and spill every single drop of your blood again and again until your body gives out and even the Phoenix spirit can no longer bring you back from the brink of death," Ivan ranted.

"But I assure you that you will be begging me for the sweet release of death long before I grant it so…" Ivan said, as he stepped through the bars to the outside again.

"But first I shall allow my most skilled General to deliver just a small fraction of what I have in store for you," Ivan said, as the bars disappeared temporarily and let the green skinned alien inside, before the bars reappeared. The General cracked his knuckles and raised his fist.

"Time to suffer…little Phoenix…" Xinshing said, as his fist struck Hunter's face…

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor Beach**_

As the zords were dispatched back to the zord hanger at the old power chamber outside Angel Grove, the active teams gathered back on the beach to be teleported back to Ranger Ops. They expected to find Tori and Zedd still there, but only Will and Dax remained, tying up loose ends with a few of their men.

"Where are they?" Blake asked.

"Maybe Zedd already took Tori back to Ops," Conner said. Billy put his phone to his ear.

"Hey Carls, did Zedd bring Tori back to the med bay already?" Billy asked.

"_No guys…after you went into battle, Zedd was going to bring her back here, but Tori's father shot him with one of those ion rays. Gorbin took them both," _Carly said in a shaky voice. Shane's head snapped toward Will and Dax, who were leaving with their team.

"Where is she?" Shane yelled, as he ran to catch them. Will turned around and glared at him.

"Daddy dearest decided that he wanted his little girl with him. And as for Zedd, I'm pretty sure my boss wants to lock him up and throw away the key," Will replied with a shrug of indifference.

"Look man, he can't do that. Tell us where they are!" Blake demanded.

"Make me," Will hissed. Blake growled and lunged at him, toppling them both to the sand. Blake punched him in the jaw and Will swung with an uppercut, catching Blake just to the right of his left eye.

"Ooze took my brother…and your fucking boss isn't going to take the rest of my family!" Blake screamed, as he grabbed Will's collar.

"Tell me where he's taking them!" Blake screamed, as Tommy and Jason pried him off the black Overdrive ranger.

"Keep that psycho away from me!" Will growled, as Dax helped him up. He wiped the blood from his lip and spit in the sand.

"Dude…why would you do this? What did Tori ever do to you, except help save your sorry asses from Thrax!" Dustin snapped angrily. Normally, the light hearted yellow wind ranger was the last to anger, but Tori was closer to him than his real sisters and these posers had pushed him to his limit.

"You guys just better let it drop or my men are going to use the ion ray on all of you!" Will threatened.

"Do your worst, man! Hide behind your weapons if you have to!" Blake roared, as he struggled to get away from Jason and Tommy.

"Blake…stop!" Billy pleaded, as he blocked him.

"I will find them…there has never been anyone I couldn't find. Carly and I just need time," Billy promised. The Navy ranger began to calm down.

"Carly, you have a lock on us?" Billy asked.

"_Teleporting now," _she responded, as they disappeared, leaving Dax and Will behind.

* * *

_**Maximum Security Military Base**_

_**Outside Turtle Cove, California**_

On the long drive, the ion paralysis had finally worn off by the time they arrived at one of Gorbin's compounds. The place was a massive base, complete with two airstrips and large warehouse, large enough to house their new human constructed zords, vehicles, and weapons. The truck lurched and Tori groaned, as she finally regained consciousness. The first thing she noticed was that her hands were handcuffed, which made her sit up with a start.

"Zedd?" she asked, noticing him next to her, also in handcuffs.

"I'm sorry Tori, I tried to stop this," he replied regrettably.

"What…what happened? Where's Hunter?" she asked. Zedd lowered his head.

"After you were knocked out, Ooze had his General bring the Galaxy rangers before us. He apparently captured them several days ago. He promised to free them if Hunter agreed to be his prisoner in return," Zedd recalled sadly.

"You mean…" she uttered.

"I'm sorry Tori, but Ivan Ooze has him and I couldn't do anything to stop it," he said bitterly.

"It's not your fault," she consoled.

"If that wasn't bad enough, they captured the two of us while the others were in battle. I'm so sorry Tori," he replied.

"Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart. He may be under arrest, but you're not," Peter said, as he turned from his seat in front.

"Really? Because the handcuffs could have fooled me!" Tori snapped. He put his hand up.

"I knew you would be disoriented when you woke up. This is for your own good," he insisted.

"You have no right! Let us go!" she yelled.

"You're my daughter and I have every right," he argued.

"No…I'm an adult and I can make my own choices. This is not my choice!" Tori ranted.

"Tori, please calm down…" Peter pleaded.

"Yes Ms. Hanson, I would hate to have one of my men silence you," Gorbin warned. She glared and kicked the back of his seat.

"Give me back my morpher, fathead," she demanded, but Gorbin only chuckled in amusement.

"She certainly is spirited, but you had better control your daughter, Mr. Hanson. I cannot have her causing trouble on my base," Gorbin said, as he got out of the truck. Tori and Zedd were hauled out next by a few of the red bereted soldiers. The blue wind ranger took this as her opportunity and despite her bound hands, she delivered a flying kick to one of her captors.

"Control her!" Gorbin roared. Tori was shot with an ion blast and she collapsed to the ground. Two soldiers picked her up and Gorbin put his hand around her neck, as she glared defiantly back at him.

"You will be controlled, Ms. Hanson. Your alien boyfriend isn't here to absorb any attacks for you, so I would be cautious or I may have to teach you a lesson," Gorbin threatened.

"Take them to the prison barracks," Gorbin ordered.

"You said Tori would stay with me," Peter protested.

"I lied, Mr. Hanson. Your daughter is under arrest for vigilantism and if you even attempt to free her by violating your contract, you'll be in the cell right next to Dr. Cranston," Gorbin threatened, as Zedd and Tori were taken away. Peter could only watch helplessly, frozen by the look of sheer betrayal in his daughter's eyes.

* * *

"Damn that little punk," Will spat, as he cleaned the bloody cut on his lip, courtesy of Blake Bradley.

"Will…what the hell are we doing?" Dax questioned. Will turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?" he snapped.

"You know what I mean! The original plan was to work alone and maybe show them that we weren't just rookies, but we were never supposed to let harm come to them!" Dax screamed.

"Oh come on, are you going to ditch me like the girls did now?!" Will spat. Dax shook his head.

"They had the right idea. After Gorbin shot Hunter in cold blood, I should have walked away with them…but you're my best friend so I stood by you. But now…Tori never did anything wrong. Gorbin has no right to imprison her," Dax lamented.

"I don't like it any more than you do! But do you really want to be forced to hide like the others?" Will hissed.

"It's better than all this," Dax responded. But Will only smirked.

"You don't really mean that. I saw you with those reporters yesterday. You couldn't shut up and I'll bet they will want to talk to you again after the zord battle in Blue Bay Harbor. And don't you have a meeting with one of the biggest movie studios in Hollywood?" Will taunted. Dax frowned. It was true, they wanted him to star in the latest series of action blockbusters. And it was his dream to be famous…a dream he didn't want to easily give up.

"That's what I thought. Let's go, we're late for debriefing," Will said.

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Leo, it's good to see you…all of you," Andros greeted, as the active teams arrived.

"Well that totally sucked," Conner grumbled.

"We have to keep our heads up, guys," Tommy reminded.

"How the hell are we supposed to do that? Ooze has my brother and that dickhead General has Zedd and Tori!" Blake ranted.

"And we're going to do everything possible to get them all back. Now go get that shiner taken care of," Jason ordered, referring to the swelling bruise on his face, courtesy of Will Aston.

"Come on, I'll help you with that," Carly chimed in, as she led him to the medical bay, while the others explained the situation with General Gorbin and subsequently Master Vile's schemes.

* * *

_**Medical Bay**_

"Here, this should bring the swelling down," Carly said, as she handed the icepack to Blake. He pressed it sourly to the place where Will had uppercut him and felt Carly take his hand.

"I'm going to do everything I can to locate them…all of them," she promised. He smiled gently.

"I know you will…thanks," he said, as he surprised her by kissing her cheek. He pulled away and their eyes met, green and dark brown colliding. With their lips mere inches apart, Blake closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms slid around his neck, as he pulled her close, his lips moving passionately over hers.

"I think I could go for that ride now if you're still interested," he suggested. She smiled and nodded, as they left to get some air. The computers were searching and there was nothing more they could do at the moment but wait…and hope.


	33. Chapter 32: Without You

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 32! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yeah, it's not looking good. Unfortunately things have to get worse before they get better, but they will get better. :)

Harry2: Vile support might be crumbling, but he's Master Vile parading as the President so he has power to back him up. As for Tori and Zedd being sprung, I'm afraid it's not that simple. ;)

MMPRFansince93: Sorry for all the suspense, but I like a slow build to my climaxes. This chapter has some good old character development which I think is interesting. It's not quite as action packed as past chapters, but I thought it was necessary. Hope you like. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, I'm glad you like the story so much. :) Yeah, Tori has some words for her dad in this chapter, Ronny has some choice ones for Will, and so on. Hope you enjoy. :)

XoxMountainGirlxoX" Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. I know, it's weird writing Zedd as a redeemed character, but I find it really fun since he's so complex. :)

RHatch89: Yep and more drama to come. :)

Lmv16: Yep, Gorbin and company are dicks. Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Glad you're enjoying the story. As for Dax, he may be seeing the light, but the question is will he do anything about it? His viewpoint is touched on a bit in this chapter. Enjoy :)

fallingstar22: Yep, Hunter's been captured, as have Tori and Zedd. This chapter focuses on the characters a bit more rather than the action. But there will be major action scenes coming in the near future. Glad you're enjoying :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 32: Without You

_I can't win, I can't reign  
I will never win this game  
Without you, without you  
I am lost, I am vain,  
I will never be the same  
Without you, without you_

_I won't run, I won't fly_  
_I will never make it by_  
_Without you, without you_  
_I can't rest, I can't fight_  
_All I need is you and I,_  
_Without you, without you_

_I won't soar, I won't climb  
If you're not here, I'm paralyzed  
Without you, without you  
I can't look, I'm so blind  
I lost my heart, I lost my mind  
Without you, without you_

_**Song: Without You**_

_**Artist: David Guetta & Usher**_

* * *

**Gorbin's Military Compound**

**Near Turtle Cove, CA**

As the ion paralysis slowly wore off, Tori began moving around her cell, mostly to keep warm in the drafty space. She was dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, ideal for California weather and the similar climate on the island where their base resided. She suddenly heard wolf whistles and glared, as she saw two officers bringing her a tray of food.

"Man, if this is what girl power rangers look like, sign me up," one joked.

"Yeah…maybe the General will let us get better acquainted later. How about it sweet cheeks? Wanna be with a real man?" the other taunted.

"First of all, call me sweet cheeks again, and I'll knee your balls into your throat. And as for a "real" man, neither of you qualify," she spat. But they only laughed. They were about to keep taunting her, but saw Dax approaching.

"Back to your posts, Gentlemen," Dax ordered. Though they didn't like it, Gorbin had made it clear that Will and Dax were their superiors.

"You know, I'm tempted to let you have at them. I'd love to see you make sopranos out of those jerks," Dax chuckled.

"Yet you work with them and since when do you care if I'm harassed?" Tori asked.

"Come on Tori, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't even agree with you being locked up in here," Dax replied. Tori put her hands on the bars.

"Then let me go…come with me back to the ranger base. You can still make this right," she pleaded. He shook his head.

"Believe me, there's a lot of things going on here that I'd change if I could, but you know I can't. Gorbin's in charge for now and until the status quo changes, then I have to do what's best for me," Dax reasoned.

"That's selfish," she told him. He shrugged.

"But it's reality. I'm making money, I have the career I've always dreamed of and I'm _still_ fighting the bad guys," Dax reasoned.

"But it won't last! And you're fighting the same bad guys as we are right now, but what happens when Gorbin blurs those lines by telling you that it's certain humans that the bad guys, like anyone that doesn't follow his agenda or isn't rich enough to fund his operations? Will money and a career be worth shedding the blood of innocents?" she asked. He shook his head in vehement.

"It won't come to that," he insisted.

"You're fooling yourself if you think that," Tori retorted. He sighed.

"I have to go. While you rot in that cell, I'm going to finally getting my film career off the ground. I achieved my dreams and maybe you don't agree with how I did it, but I'm not the one in a prison cell," he spat, as he stalked off. She huffed in annoyance and sat down. She picked at her food and ate a little, finding it bland and tasteless, but knew she had to eat it to keep her strength up. Finally not being able to stand anymore, she pushed it away in disgust.

"You've barely eaten anything at all," a voice mentioned. She turned to find her father there and then turned away again.

"It's gross," she complained.

"Sweetheart, you have to know that I didn't expect he would lock you up," Peter told her.

"And you believed him?" she asked incredulously.

"I wanted to…I just had to see you and explain things," Peter replied.

"Save it dad, I don't want to know why you left me to work for the government, because no answer is going to make it right," Tori said.

"I made a lot of mistakes and I never should have left you, I know that. But I really thought I was doing something for the greater good, you have to believe me," Peter pleaded.

"I believe you've deluded yourself and that you're a coward," she spat angrily.

"Well, I see the bad influence that boy has had on you," Peter retorted.

"Oh no, this is all me, but you wouldn't know that, because you don't even know me anymore," Tori pointed out.

"I'm trying to know you, but you're fighting me at every turn and it breaks my heart to know that you would choose that alien boy and your friends over me, your own family," Peter spat. That was the wrong thing to say and he knew it the moment he saw her sapphire eyes flash with hurt.

"Family? FAMILY? You may be family by blood, but you stopped being my family the moment you left," she spat.

"Shane and Dustin are my family, because they were there for me after you just disappeared. They were there for me when mom was too drunk to care. Sensei showed me that I was important in a time when I thought I was nothing. He helped me become the person I am. And Hunter…" she said, stopping for a moment to choke back a sob.

"And Hunter is the man I love. He would never choose to leave me. He is the kind of man that gives himself up to save five people that he doesn't even know," she said, as a few tears spilled down her cheeks.

"But yet here you are lecturing me about family when my family is probably worried sick about me and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with is probably being tortured," Tori cried, her voice thick with pain.

"Tori…" Peter tried to console.

"Just go…" she sniffed. He hesitated and she glared at him.

"GO!" she screamed. Sighing in defeat, Peter slunk away from his daughter's cell, each one of her sobs stabbing him in the heart like a knife.

"What I have done?" he whispered to himself.

* * *

_The young boy, no older than twelve, stealthily pocketed the packaged goods while the store clerk's back was turned. Inside, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but they were so hungry. He skirted out of the store and into a back alleyway where a little dark haired boy waited, maybe ten-years-old at most. _

"_Here Blake…I got what I could," Hunter said, as they tore open the packages and started eating. _

"_Hey Hunter?" Blake asked, as he munched._

"_Yeah?" the older blonde boy answered._

"_What are we going to do now that mommy and daddy are gone?" Blake asked innocently. Hunter really had no clue, but he never let on to Blake that he was just as scared as he was. _

"_I don't know, but we'll figure it out. Come on, let's keep moving," Hunter urged, as he took his brother's hand and they kept moving through the city. _

* * *

Hunter jerked awake, returning to a world of pain. It had been hours since Xinshing had quite literally broken nearly every bone in his body and he found himself in and out of consciousness, as his body worked to heal. He hung limp by a pair of shackles secured to the ceiling and had nearly no strength. The amount of healing that his body needed had taken nearly everything from him and the tasteless gruel he had been fed a few hours ago only served as enough to keep him from starving to death.

The realm of his dreams hadn't really been dreams at all during his bouts of unconsciousness, but rather flashbacks of his life…good and bad. The shackles cut into his wrists and fresh blood trickled down his arms. Sharp pains shooting through his body began anew, evidence of his bones resetting and mending themselves, as the Phoenix fire that was both his gift and curse, coursed through his body. The pain being too much, Hunter passed out again, and delved into his memories again…

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Ranger Ops**_

Cam sighed deeply and tossed his glasses away. He rubbed his eyes and sat back in his chair. He had forgotten how long he had been sitting there, but judging by how stiff he was, it was probably a good twelve hours or better. And he had absolutely nothing to show for those wasted hours either. There was no trace of Tori, which baffled him. Their advanced system should have easily been able to hone in on her morpher, but the computers were picking up nothing.

As for Hunter, they knew exactly where he was, but such a rescue mission to Ivan Ooze's ship would prove to be sheer suicide. Still, he knew their crazy leaders were busy trying to hatch some kind of insane plan.

"You look like you could use this," Hayley said, as she a steaming mug down beside him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Tea?" he asked. She nodded.

"No offense, but I really need more coffee," Cam replied.

"You've had enough coffee. You need to get some sleep and this will help you relax," she replied. He looked at her suspiciously.

"Did my dad put you up to this?" he questioned. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're both worried about you. Drink your tea and then go to bed," she ordered.

"And if I don't, are you going to tell my daddy one me?" he challenged. She leaned down, bringing them face to face, and Cam wondered why he had never noticed just how beautiful she was…how green her eyes were and how her smile warmed his heart. He tended to lose himself in his tech world and often missed things like this about the people around him.

"How about I just drag you to your bedroom and if I have to stay there all night to make sure you get some sleep…I will," she said. He gulped.

"Go…seriously, Samurai or not, I will drag you there if I have to," she warned.

"Fine…" he relented, as she followed him out and they went upstairs to the residence wing for the night.

* * *

_**A Private Military Club**_

_**Downtown Turtle Cove**_

Ronny knew she was taking a risk. Being a former racecar driver, taking risks was nothing new to her. The others, Rose included, would go crazy if they knew she had snuck down to Ops in the middle of the night, slipped passed Alpha, and used the teleportation system to get her near Will's location. She had tracked him by his morpher, which would probably make Cam freak since she touched his precious system. But she had some things to get off her chest and she had to know why he was doing this. Spy or not, she didn't believe that she had never really known him as he so claimed. There were just some things that you couldn't fake…or so she wanted to believe. Regardless, she needed closure and Will Aston was going to listen to her or so help her, she was going to slap him silly.

She snuck into the ritzy club that she had tracked his morpher to and suddenly realized how underdressed she was. Ignoring that thought, she used her enhanced speed to zoom by the confused bouncer and then darted into a corner, while she looked around the room. She spotted him mingling with some other gentlemen, of which she assumed somehow worked for Gorbin as well. He had a very pretty brunette on his arm and she seethed, knowing exactly what type of girl this was. Unfortunately, she knew she would stick out like a sore thumb dressed in her normal clothes, so she decided she would sink to his level if only to get his attention. Will Aston was worth saving, even if she had to save from himself. She suddenly bumped into another girl and gasped, realizing that she might be exposed. Thinking quickly, she did her best airhead impression.

"Oh, I'm so clumsy, I'm so sorry," she faked in her best ditzy voice.

"Oh that's okay hon, girls like us have to stick together in a place like this," the other blonde said. Her voice heavy with a southern accent.

"Girls like us?" Ronny asked.

"You know, arm candy for these fine military men…and possibly more if you know what I mean," the blonde giggled. Ronny looked around and felt like puking her guts out. Why did these women allow themselves to be treated like this? As nothing more than cheap one night stands with men who had no respect for women.

"Let's go get you a dress," she suggested. But Ronny had changed her mind.

"No thanks, he's going to listen to me regardless of what I'm wearing," Ronny replied, as she dashed away, stunning the other woman. Will suddenly felt himself ripped away from the woman on his arm and shoved into the nearest room by a yellow blur. Ronny closed the door and locked it, before facing the stunned black ranger. But Will regained his composure quickly and smirked.

"If you wanted to talk Ronny, all you had to do was ask," Will said smugly.

"Oh, this won't take long. Sorry to interrupt your date with the brunette bimbo hanging all over you out there," Ronny spat in response. He grinned.

"Jealous?" he hissed, but she stalked toward him with a smirk of her own.

"You wish," she hissed back. He frowned and turned away to avoid her eyes that always seemed to look straight through him.

"What do you want? If my boss sees you, then I'm going to have to arrest you," Will told her.

"You'll have to catch me first, but I just wanted to have a quick little chat. Considering your female company tonight, it will probably be the first intelligent thing you've heard come out of a woman's mouth all night," Ronny snapped.

"Her name is Chloe and she's not an airhead," Will refuted. Ronny rolled her eyes.

"Please…I bet she just is so stoked that she's with a real power ranger," Ronny said sarcastically.

"Maybe she knows a real man when she sees one," Will refuted.

"Don't make me hurl," she spat.

"What do you want Ronny?" he asked.

"I want to know why!" she screamed.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why you betrayed fifteen generations of rangers for this…fake life!" she yelled.

"From my point of view, this life is pretty damn real. Who the hell are you to come in here and judge me?! I'm trying to make a life for myself and if that means cutting ties with those that will hold me back, then so be it," he replied.

"Listen to me Will, Gorbin isn't going to do you any favors," Ronny tried to convince him.

"Don't you think I know that?! I'm not a moron," he snapped.

"Then why are you working for him?" she asked.

"I'm a spy…think about it Ronnie. I'm embedded now and privy to all GAMA's operations," he replied.

"So…you're actually helping us?" she asked, a sliver of hope in her voice.

"Don't delude yourself, I'm helping myself. When the time is right, I'll seize control of the entire operation from Randall Gorbin and tuck him away in a dark cell where he belongs. Then it will be my operation and we will be the planet's last line of defense. No one will stand against us," Will replied.

"I think you're the delusional one," Ronny spat. He scoffed.

"Yeah? I'm not the one hiding in God knows where with a multi-colored band of emotionally driven has been power rangers. Face it, none of this would be happening if they had done their jobs right in the first place," Will spat back.

"Really? Did Gorbin tell you that load of crap? Or did it come from a certain President of the United States…perhaps?" she hissed.

"What does it matter?" he asked.

"It matters, because the President isn't who he appears to be," Ronny replied. Will sighed.

"Not this again," he replied, sounding tired.

"Listen to me Will, the President is being controlled by Master Vile…" Ronny warned, but he cut her off.

"Save it Ronny, I don't care," Will snapped.

"You're lying…you may fool the others with that attitude, but I know you care," Ronny replied.

"Get out of here Ronny, before I'm forced to arrest you," he warned. She shrugged.

"If you were going to arrest me, you would have done it by now. You can't even look at me, because I know you care, but I'll leave," she relented. He gritted his teeth in anger. She was infuriating at times and he suddenly wanted her to hurt as much as he was inside.

"You're wrong…I don't care. The others are nothing to me…and that includes you," he lied, as he stared her straight in the eyes. He watched them glaze over with pain and betrayal.

"You were just the flavor of the week," he said stoically, using every bit of effort he had to keep his voice from cracking. This time, the pain in her eyes flashed to anger and he should have expected her to slap his face when it came.

"Go to hell Will," she spat angrily, as she dashed out the sliding patio door and escaped the private club's compound. She stopped a few blocks away and sunk onto a park bench in defeat, before sobbing almost uncontrollably…

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

_**Hunter's flashback**_

_She was gorgeous…especially when she was in her element. As he watched her walk in from the ocean with her board under her arm, he wondered how he could have let this happen. How could he have fallen for the same girl his brother had once had a thing for? He knew Blake had moved on, though he had never really told her that. There had never been much more than flirting between the two and maybe if Blake had stayed, there would have been. It didn't matter though. She would never see him as more than her friend. His thoughts were interrupted by a couple of male surfers, whose crude comments about his object of affection made his blood boil. _

"_She's so hot…I'd love to have a piece of that," one said. _

"_Fat chance…she's not worth it. One of the guys told me that he tried to make a move one time and he ended up on his ass. Trust me, you don't want to mess with that one. She's an ice queen," the other replied. _

"_I like it when they fight and I have ways to deal with ones that are hard to handle," the first one sneered._

"_Dude…what are you talking about?" the other asked. _

"_The town beach party tonight…everyone's going to be there. If I manage to slip a couple pills into her drink, it'll take all the fight out of her," he chuckled. _

"_That's sick man," the other replied. _

"_Girls like her need to put in their place," the first one spat. That was all he could take and the two nearly jumped out of their skin when he was suddenly in their faces._

"_Maybe you need to be put in yours," Hunter hissed._

"_Dude…back off, we were just bullshitting," the first guy tried to claim. _

"_If either of you come near her tonight…or any other day for that matter, they'll be arresting me for murder," Hunter threatened._

"_Dude…chill out, the bitch is all yours," the other said, trying to diffuse the situation. Hunter grabbed his shirt._

"_Don't call her that," he said, as he shoved him back, sending them both his best death glare. They seemed effectively worried and quickly made an exit. Tori hadn't noticed the exchange, but looked up at that moment, her face becoming eclipsed with a smile at the sight of him. He felt his heart skip a beat and wondered idly if there was even a slight chance she could love him in return. He knew she could take care of herself, but hearing what those two assholes had been saying about her made him burn with the need to defend her honor. He was positive she would affectionately call it his "inner caveman". _

"_Hey…you're here early today," she mentioned. He shrugged. _

"_Leann is covering for me. I thought we could get some dinner before the party tonight. I've had a craving for ham and pineapple pizza and you're the only one that will eat it with me," he replied. She smiled. _

"_Sure, but we need to go by my apartment first so I can shower and change. Do you mind waiting?" she asked. He shook his head. _

"_Nah, there's a race on TV that'll keep me occupied," he replied, as they headed to her van. Little did he know, that night, his dreams would come true. The night they became so much more…_

* * *

_Music played in the background and the evening breeze ruffled his shaggy mane, as they walked barefoot in the sand. They had been dancing, but they soon agreed that there were too many people and it was way too loud, so they retreated to the surf along the beach nearby. _

"_You look like you have something on your mind?" he questioned, as he noticed how quiet and pensive she had become. _

"_It's…nothing," she replied vaguely. _

"_Come on Tor…something's obviously bothering you," he urged. _

"_You're probably going to hate me if I tell you," she said. _

"_Tori…nothing you could ever say could make me hate you, that's not possible. We're friends…you can tell me anything," he replied._

"_That's just it…I don't want to just be your friend anymore," she admitted. _

"_What do you mean?" he asked, suddenly worried that he had done something to make her angry enough to not want anything to do with him. _

"_Never mind…I know you don't see me that way…because of Blake," she said sadly, as she started to walk off._

"_Blake? Wait…Tori, talk to me," he demanded, as he reached for her arm and saw the unshed tears in her eyes. _

"_I love you…okay?" she blurted out. He was stunned to speechlessness for a moment, though he quickly realized that saying nothing was making it worse._

"_I love you too," he finally admitted. Her eyes widened in surprise. _

"_Does it really surprise you that I could fall for you? You're amazing, you know," he told her. _

"_I…I'm just not that girl, I didn't want to be that girl," Tori rambled._

"_What are you talking about?" he asked._

"_The girl that comes between two brothers…I told myself that I wasn't going to be her," she replied. And then he understood all too well why she might think he could hate her. _

"_Tori…you're not that girl. I'll admit that I have my own guilt about falling for you, but Blake isn't here. I love my little bro, but I love you too. I'd like to think he wouldn't want us both being miserable and alone, because we're worried about hurting him when he's not even in the picture," he mentioned, as he gently brushed a stray blonde lock from her beautiful face. _

"_I don't let just anyone into my heart, you know. But somehow, being the woman you are, you got passed all my insecurities, my fears, my broodiness, and didn't run screaming in the other direction. Most girls just don't have the patience for me," he admitted. She titled her head and suddenly wanted to strangle every stupid airhead girl that had ever dared to hurt him. She knew there was a few in his past and none of the relationships had ended well. _

"_Guess I know a great guy when I see one…one that's worth fighting for," she said. Never one to be shy, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own. Tori's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before closed them and eagerly kissed him back. _

"_I love you so much," he whispered. She smiled, as he held her close and she finally felt complete._

"_I love you too, thunder boy,"_

* * *

"Tori…" he whispered.

"Ugh…you know, saying her name isn't going to make her magically appear. Your dreams are making you delusional," Toxa said in disgust, as she paced before the broken ranger. His eyes snapped open and the pain was still ever present, but better than it had been last time he was awake.

"Well, waking up to you is a nightmare," he spat.

"Aw…and I bet if you let me, I could make you forget all about your little blonde tart," Toxa hissed, as she put her hand on his face. He shrugged away from her in disgust.

"And if I had anything in my stomach, I'd be up-chucking on your right now," he retorted.

"Normally, I wouldn't even consider a weak human worthy of me either…but then I guess you're not really human, are you?" she asked.

"Earth is my home, regardless of where I was born," he replied.

"Please…these humans are destroying themselves! My father only wishes to speed up their guaranteed demise. Your people are no better. They are power hungry, greedy, and selfish," she spat.

"Not all humans are like that," Hunter snapped.

"Really? Because from what I've seen, most of your own people have turned their backs on the rangers. Rangers who have protected them for years and they don't even want you on their planet anymore, because you weren't born there. Yet you still protect them," Toxa said, as if she was genuinely trying to understand him.

"It's the right thing to do. Not that you would understand that," he snapped. She smirked.

"You are quite attractive, especially when you're angry," she said, as he shrugged away from her touch again.

"Touch me again and I'll bite your hand off," he growled. She smirked. Since her father had ordered her to observe him, she had found herself enthralled by the Phoenix ranger. She had always been drawn to males with power, but never had she encountered one that she couldn't have…until him. He wanted no part of her, despised her, and his heart belonged to another, which only made her want him more. She traced a finger down his bare chest, enjoying the sight of his well-toned physique.

"Is it really my appearance that bothers you so? Because that can easily be changed," she said, as she morphed into another form. She delighted in torturing him, not physically, but emotionally, for she knew exactly what his reaction would be.

Her purple skin faded to a creamy peachy white, with a subtle tan. Her hair, once black as night, now flowed in flaxen blonde waves. Her purple eyes morphed into sparkling sapphire gems and her lips to a soft pink.

"Is this better?" she asked. He glared murderously at her.

"You're not her…not by a long shot," he spat angrily.

"But I could be…I mean, think about it. We could rule the universe if you joined me and if me looking like this is what you like…then I could get used to this form I suppose. I'm not really sure if I understand what you see in her though," Toxa said, as she examined the foreign blond hair with scrutiny.

"Go to hell," he spat. She smirked and let herself out of the cell, before turning the plasma bars back on.

"It's really too bad about what happened to her," Toxa mentioned. Hunter's head snapped toward her.

"What happened to Tori?" he demanded to know.

"Oh that's right…you don't that she was taken…" Toxa vaguely revealed, as she strolled off.

"Taken? TAKEN BY WHO?" he screamed. She smirked, as she kept walking.

"TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!" he screamed. She grinned evilly and morphed into her true form.

"I must say your emotional toying with him is far more effective torture than I would have imagined. Your father is very pleased," Xin mentioned, as he approached.

"Thank you…I must say that he is very entertaining," Toxa replied.

"Your father wants to see how the rangers deal with a full scale attack without him and he wishes for you to lead it. He of course will be forced to watch every bit of their destruction," Xin informed. She smirked.

"I'll leave at once," she replied, as she went to gather a team of warriors.

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Base**_

_**Outside Turtle Cove, CA**_

"Dr. Cranston, I'm pleased to tell you that you have a cellmate," Gorbin said, as Zedd was shoved into the cell.

"This is your new home, your Lordship, for now, until the President decides exactly what to do with you," Gorbin continued.

"Your President is being controlled by Master Vile and when he's done using you, you'll be in here with us…or worse," Zedd warned. Gorbin chuckled.

"Are you still on that? I don't know who this Master Vile is, but I assure you he has nothing to do with this," Gorbin insisted. Zedd scoffed.

"You're a bigger fool than I thought then. But if you want to work for a man that will eventually melt the skin off your bones for his own amusement, then be my guest. Just tell me where Tori is," Zedd demanded. Gorbin chuckled.

"Your concern for her is touching, but she is in her own cell and she's fine," Gorbin assured.

"She better be for your sake," Zedd retorted, making Gorbin chuckle.

"And what are _you_ going to do if she isn't?" the General taunted. Zedd smirked.

"Not me…but my nephew will rip through you like tinfoil," Zedd promised.

"Your nephew is as good as dead," Gorbin spat. Zedd smirked.

"You hope," Zedd taunted back, enjoying Gorbin's uneasiness.

"I warn you not to anger me. I may send my men in to deal with you and tell the President that you had an unfortunate accident," Gorbin threatened.

"Sure, send them in. I'm sure that I don't stand a chance with seven thousand years of hand to hand combat experience under my belt," Zedd replied sarcastically. Gorbin simply smirked.

"Perhaps we will test you later," Gorbin promised, as he left. Zedd sighed and noticed the curious scientist that also occupied the cell.

"So…you're Lord Zedd?" Alan Cranston asked cautiously.

"Just Zedd. I kind of dropped the Lord part when I decided I was no longer going to continue on a path of evil and destruction," Zedd replied.

"So Billy's journals were correct…you are reformed?" Alan asked curiously. Zedd nodded.

"Yes and you must be Billy's father," Zedd replied, as he sat down next to him, sharing a casual handshake.

"Are Billy and Carly safe?" Alan asked. Zedd nodded.

"Yes, Carly is fitting in rather well with our resident brainiacs and Billy is as well as can be expected," Zedd responded. Alan frowned.

"As well as can be expected?" he repeated in confusion.

"Oh…I suppose you wouldn't know," Zedd realized.

"What's happened to Billy?" Alan asked.

"Aquitar was destroyed. He and Trina were the only survivors," Zedd replied gently.

"My God…then Cestria…" Alan uttered.

"She died in Billy's arms during the invasion. I'm sorry," Zedd replied.

"I just wish I could be there for him," Alan said in defeat.

"I know what you mean, Ivan Ooze has captured my nephew," Zedd replied.

"The Bradley boy…the one that is Eltarian?" Alan asked. Zedd looked at him.

"You know about Hunter's origins?" Zedd questioned in return.

"Only in respect to his DNA. Gorbin threatened Carly and I did a full work up on his blood sample. I'm sorry, because I am responsible for creating the ion ray guns," Alan apologized.

"It's all right, you did what you had to for Carly and you quit working for them once you knew she was safe. That took a lot of courage, more than Tori's own father has shown," Zedd stated.

"I've tried talking to Peter, but he is convinced that if he keeps working for Gorbin that he will in turn offer protection for him and Tori, even though she is a ranger. I must say, the research I was allowed to do on your people before I learned what all this was really about was fascinating," Alan mentioned.

"Our makeup isn't all that dissimilar from humans, as I'm sure you know. We're just a far older version," Zedd responded.

"Your nephew's DNA is absolutely the most remarkable thing I've ever seen. Is it true that he healed from a bullet wound to his heart?" Alan asked. Zedd nodded.

"Yes…he is one of kind, just like his father was. There won't be another like him, at least until he and Tori have children someday, that is," Zedd replied.

"Do you think your nephew can escape Ivan Ooze?" Alan asked. Zedd sighed.

"I have to hope he can…because between Master Vile and Ivan Ooze, they'll ravage this planet until it is nothing unless they are stopped. The others will stop him, they are quite capable, but they need Hunter's powers to combat Ooze and Vile's magic," Zedd explained.

"Things aren't looking up, that's for sure," Alan added. Zedd smirked.

"On the contrary, Dr. Cranston, because with the power of the Ninjetti…all things are possible," Zedd replied mysteriously, puzzling the aging scientist.

* * *

_**The hidden island**_

Carly held on tightly, as Blake navigated the rough terrain of the hilly side of the island. This was their second ride and she found it thrilling. Normally, she would have had second thoughts about getting on a motorbike with someone, but she trusted Blake with her life. He stopped on a ridge that overlooked the ocean and they pulled their helmets off, as they dismounted the bike.

"I think this is a tradition I could get used to," she mentioned. He smiled and took her hand.

"Me too," he replied, as they sat down and hung their legs over the edge of the ridge.

"Do you miss MIT at all?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I miss some of my friends, but honestly, I've learned more here getting to work with ranger technology in just a few days than I've learned in six months at MIT," she replied. He nodded.

"Yeah, this experience is like nothing else, that's for sure," he agreed.

"Don't get me wrong, MIT is an awesome school, but I was having trouble focusing when all this stuff started happening. I wanted to be doing something that could really make a difference," she added. He nodded.

"I know what you mean. I was a little mad when Cam first called me back from Factory Blue, but then I realized that there's no motocross or anything for that matter if I didn't do this," Blake said.

"Will you return to Factory Blue when all this is over?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Roger Hanna was pretty clear that he was done with me, but he may change his tune after the rangers save the Earth from Ooze for good this time. And that just makes him a poser so I doubt I'll go back even if he offers it to me. There's other things that are just more important," Blake replied. She smiled. They were about to continue when Blake's morpher chimed. He groaned.

"That's probably not good. Go for Blake," he answered.

"_Blue Bay Harbor is being trashed. Morph and I'll teleport you there with the others," _Hayley said.

"Got it, can you teleport Carly back there?" Blake asked.

"_Yeah…I've got a lock on her too," _Hayley replied. He nodded and stepped back.

"Be careful," she called. He nodded and initiated his morphing sequence.

"Thunderstorm, Ranger Form!" Blake called, as his navy armor enclosed around him. In a flash of navy and white, he was teleported to Blue Bay Harbor and she returned to Ranger Ops…


	34. Chapter 33: Careless Disregard

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 33! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life gets in the way sometimes. Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

RHatch89: No, Dax and Will have a lot to learn about being rangers. But...all the Overdrive rangers displayed these bouts of selfishness throughout that season, at least in my opinion. That's the inspiration for the way they are acting now. But they're still redeemable. It will just be a loooong road. ;)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

fallingstar22: Yeah, the situation with her dad is not good. But I'm glad you liked the flashback scenes. Glad you enjoyed the other tender scenes. As for Hunter...stayed tuned. ;)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Well, stayed tuned to see if they get helped or they get creamed. It will be an uphill battle for sure. ;)

Harry2: Yep, things are getting blurry, so to speak. Glad you're enjoying the story. ;)

Lmv16: Time will tell. ;) There's lots of action ahead.

MMPRFansince93: Glad you enjoyed the flashback scenes. There is a battle filled chapter ahead. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter and it will be an interesting battle indeed. ;)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 33: Careless Disregard

_Is this the way I want it?  
To be sold out and shattered  
The threat is veering closer  
Leave me out to dry_

Fear will waste us  
Never make this soul weigh in and shake it off  
Crack the cycle, force time to bend a little enough  
'Cause we're running out

I have seen the dangers of careless disregard  
I have seen the dangers of careless disregard

_**Song: Careless Disregard**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**GAMA Military Base**_

_**Outside Turtle Cove, CA**_

The base's red alert alarm sounded and General Gorbin waltzed into the zord bay with purpose. Will and Dax followed him with their personal legion of GAMA guardians.

"Mr. Hanson, there's another battle being waged. It's time to see if you have come through with the new weaponry you have promised," Gorbin said. Peter looked like he hadn't slept at all and in truth, he hadn't, evidence that his conversation with his daughter had not gone well. Wordlessly, the gifted engineer opened several silver cases and revealed sleek rifle sized blasters.

"These will nullify the foot soldiers just as well as the other ranger's weapons and may be semi-effective against the Burlots and Sharkanians," Peter stated monotonously.

"And the big green guys?" Will asked. Peter looked up sharply at the young, headstrong ranger.

"Even the most seasoned rangers have immense difficulty with them. So far, only the combined firepower of their weapons and the crimson ranger himself has been able to defeat the Duronian generals. I would exercise caution with them," Peter advised.

"Good work Mr. Hanson, as a reward, I will have your daughter moved to a small residence near yours. It will be on lockdown and an ion shield will cut her off from the entrance. However, she will have the rest of the quarters that will be far more comfortable," Gorbin stated.

"Thank you General," Peter said gratefully, though he knew that a comfortable residence wouldn't get her to forgive him.

* * *

_**Downtown Blue Bay Harbor**_

Explosions rocked through the streets of downtown Blue Bay Harbor and people ran frantically from the invading aliens. There were already casualties, as Ivan's monsters mercilessly ripped their way through anything or anyone in their way.

A prone woman on the ground screamed, as the attacking Burlot General's spear-like tail came at her, intending to impale her. The black ranger landed in front of her after somersaulting through the air. With his axe, he sliced through the deadly appendage, sending the creature reeling back in pain. Adam helped the woman up.

"Hurry…run…" he urged.

"Thank you!" she called, as she hurried away.

The battlefield was filled with alien creatures, presumably from Ivan's army that they had not yet come in contact with. Adam was first to spot a new and frightening General that came with his own minions. The minions were reptilian in nature like their presumed creator and were lizard-like with a full set of sharp teeth. The General responsible for them was even scarier. He stood erect on two scaly legs and was clothed in a scaly armor around his torso that seemed to be an extension of his body. But his head was possibly the most frightening, as it looked like the head of a King Cobra with bleeding yellow eyes, large fangs, and a forked tongue.

"You're right to fear me, black ranger," the voice was very raspy, deep, and like a continual hiss, only adding to the terror. But in true ranger fashion, Adam would not allow this monster to prey upon his fears.

"We're not afraid of you, ugly. You're just another of Ivan's lap dogs mindlessly carrying out his orders," Adam retorted.

"You pathetic fool, are you any different? You don your armor and fight like a good little soldier for this pitiful mud ball in the name of your great mentor, Zordon. You risk your life for people that have turned their backs on you simply because you're a ranger…different from them. Why protect such flawed beings? Because Zordon said to?" he rasped.

"No, because it's the right thing to do," Adam snapped.

"Lie to yourself if you need to, ranger. The end result will be your demise, regardless," the creature hissed, as its three fingered, scaly hands literally mutated into two blade-like extensions, the weapons being an actual extension of the creature itself. The blades were scaly, but gleamed in the light, indicating that they were likely razor sharp.

"Well, that's different," Rocky commented, as he willed the power sword into his hand.

"And we thought we'd seen it all," Tommy joked.

"Nah, I'd remember something as gross as him," Kim commented. The creature growled and charged at the rangers. They sunk into fighting stance and engaged him.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Dustin cried out, as he made impact with a wall. The yellow ranger picked himself up and glared at the Ooze henchman from behind his visor.

"You're so going to pay for that, dude," Dustin said, as he pulled out his Earth axe and shot a clean hole through the offending minion.

"Man, we are getting worked," Shane hissed, as he recovered from being pounded by the obnoxiously strong foot soldiers.

"Being two down on our team isn't helping," Cam mentioned, as he delivered a flying kick and made a puddle of ooze out of one lackey.

"No lie," Blake agreed, as kicked another away, before he suddenly felt himself be blasted by a beam of energy, hitting the wall behind him.

"BLAKE!" his teammates cried, as they saw the Duronian General slowly approaching.

"Carry on rangers, this is between me and the Navy ranger," he stated.

"It doesn't work that way, ugly. You want one of us, you get all of us," Shane refuted. The Duronian growled and blasted the red, yellow, and green rangers out of his way, sending them into a smoking heap nearby.

"I am not in the mood for your silly games, rangers. General Xin has sent me to deliver your fate to you, Navy ranger. Your brother killed General Xin's brother and now he orders that I take you in payment for your brother's actions," the green skinned warrior stated. Blake willed the Navy Thunder blade into his hand and fell into defensive stance.

"Bring it then, I'm not going down without a fight," Blake hissed. The alien chuckled and drew his sword, as they charged at each other.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

"Tell me! Tell me what's happened to Tori!" Hunter screamed, as he pulled incessantly at his chains. He was met with a hard backhand across the mouth, courtesy of Xin.

"If I were you, Phoenix ranger, I would be eternally grateful that she's anywhere but here right now or I'd be making you watch my men rip her apart," Xin answered him. Hunter spit a mouthful of blood on the dirty floor beneath him as a holographic screen shimmered to life before them.

"My Master thought you might like to watch the demise of your friends though. It promises to be an epic battle, one that I promise your baby brother in particular…will not survive," Xin hissed. The crimson ranger's eyes were fixated on the images before him, as explosions rocked the city and his friends fought tirelessly. The footage suddenly zoomed in to focus on Blake. The Navy ranger was engaged in a fierce duel with a Duronian general, thunder blade locked with the alien's own sword.

"Blake has nothing to do with this!" Hunter seethed.

"Like I told you before, you killed my brother and now I shall in return make sure your brother dies as well," Xin stated.

"Watch Phoenix ranger…as everyone you care about is destroyed and know that you're the reason," Xin spat. Despair started to fill Hunter, as he watched his baby brother fight for his survival.

* * *

_**GAMA Military Base**_

_**Outside Turtle Cove, CA**_

"Where are you taking me?" Tori demanded, as the two officers, the same ones that had harassed her the night before, led her down the corridor in cuffs.

"You'll see soon enough, baby," one leered. Tori fumed and turned, glaring at them.

"Call me baby again and you're going to lose a testicle," she growled. But they just laughed at her, before grabbing her arms and marching her onward.

"And if you're hand moves any lower on my back, you'll lose both," she threatened the other one.

"Yeah, you're not so tough without your little morpher. There's a reason why the chick rangers always wear pink," the other joked.

"I'm the blue ranger, moron," she spat. They chuckled.

"Yeah, but it's like girl blue," the first one joked. Tori ripped her arms away from them and leapt into the air, roundhouse kicking the first one into the wall and then thrust her elbow into the second one's face. He cried out in pain, as blood gushed down his face.

"You bitch…your broke my nose!"

"Guess that's what girl blue gets you," she taunted.

"Victoria," Peter said, as he appeared, his voice chiding her.

"Don't call me that," Tori complained, as her father escorted her from there.

"Did you have to break his nose?" Peter asked.

"Considering he is a huge asshole, yes," Tori replied, as he led her into a room, undid her handcuffs and then turned on the purple force field that would block her from accessing the exit.

"What is this?" she asked.

"I thought you would be more comfortable here than in that dank cell," he replied. She looked at him incredulously.

"Yet I'm still prisoner. Changing the background doesn't change that it's wrong to keep me locked up," she spat. Peter sighed.

"I know…you have to know that I'm only trying to keep you safe," Peter pleaded.

"Save it dad. At least there's a hot shower in this place, so I'm going to go take one," she cut him off, before retreating further into the room, intending to find the bathroom.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

"It's getting bad out there, we're going to help," Andros decided, as he and the other space rangers, minus an injured Ashley, readied for battle. Karone would fill in using the yellow morpher.

"Be careful, standard morphing grid armor has proven to not be as resilient against these guys," Hayley warned. Andros nodded, understanding the stakes.

"Wait…let us come with you," Mack pleaded.

"Mack, I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Andrew replied.

"Why? Because you think I can't handle it? Mack questioned.

"Mack…" Andrew lamented.

"No, be honest with me for once, _dad,_ I was never supposed to be the red ranger. _You_ wanted that for yourself. I was just supposed to be kept locked up in your mansion like some dirty little secret," Mack hissed. Andros wasn't sure what was going on between them, but he didn't have time for it.

"Look, you three can come if you want, but this isn't a game. If you're going out there with us, then you'll follow mine and Zhane's lead," Andros stated. Mack nodded, as they turned to Hayley.

"Ready when you are," she said reluctantly.

"Let's Rocket!"

"Overdrive Accelerate!"

As the morphing calls were initiated, Hayley teleported them to Blue Bay Harbor, leaving her, the inactive or injured teams, and various past ranger mentors behind to observe the gritty battle that was taking place.

* * *

_**Downtown Blue Bay Harbor**_

Trent's Drago arrows struck the lizard-like foot soldiers, throwing them to the ground, hissing in pain and causing them to angrily launch themselves at the Dino rangers. The horrid little creatures latched onto the white, yellow, and green Dino rangers. Trent ripped the one trying to sink its teeth into him and threw it into the nearby building wall. He saw Kat use one of her Stego sabers to slice it in half.

"Thanks, these things are nasty little creeps," he growled.

"I know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather fight the Tengus," she responded.

"Ahhh…it's trying to bite through my suit," Kira cried, as she ripped it off with one of her Ptera grips and stepped on it. The creature hissed angrily at being trampled, but exploded into nothing more than a blue blood stain, thanks to Trini's silver Ankylo lightning bolt.

"Did that thing get through your suit?" she asked.

"No…I don't think so. The armor seems too thick for them," Kira responded.

"Guys…I think we have a problem!" Ethan called, as he was knelt beside two civilian casualties.

"What is it Eth?" Conner asked, as he continued fighting off the minions.

"These two were bitten…I think by these lizard things and they're dead," Ethan said. Trini knelt down and noticed the fang marks on the first victim's neck, as well as the instant skin discoloration of the person.

"The venom in those creatures is poisonous," Trini stated. Conner activated his battlizer and started eliminating the rest of the creatures. The monster laughed.

"Yes rangers…my vipers have a deadly bite, but they are nothing compared to what I, General Vlask, will do to you all," he hissed.

"You'll fail…just like all the others," Conner retorted, as he charged, armed with the Triassic shield and sword.

Conner's sword slammed against the creature's and the red ranger felt himself struggling just to keep his footing against the reptile's oppressive strength. He slammed his knee into Conner's stomach and tossed him away. The Tyranno ranger crumbled to the ground in pain, as Andros and Zhane helped him up.

"He's monstrously strong…even with the battlizer," Conner warned, as they saw the three Overdrive rangers charge him.

"No guys…wait!" Jason called to the younger rangers. The creature hissed and knocked Mack away like nothing. The pink and yellow rangers slammed their weapons against Vlask's. But the reptilian alien batted them away easily and towered over their fallen forms. Ronny felt chilled to the bone, as the creature's eyes glazed with a sadistic gleam. Hissing loudly, vile smelling, yellow venom sprayed from his mouth. It splattered on their helmets and suits. The two female rangers' uniforms began to smoke, as it ate away at their armor.

"It's acid!" Kira cried in alarm.

"It's eating through their armor!" Cam called.

"Demorph before it can touch your skin!" Billy called, as he swatted two more vipers away with his lance. Ronny and Rose cancelled their morph and the pink Overdrive ranger cried out in pain, as Billy's warming came a little late. An acid burn marred Rose's right shoulder and arm.

"Shit…get her to Dana!" Tommy snapped. Rocky and Adam gathered the pink and yellow Overdrive rangers and carried them out of harm's way, off to the side near a building, just in time for Adam to see Mack foolishly charge at Vlask.

"Mack…NO!" Adam cried. But the distraught red Overdrive ranger ignored the plea from the seasoned ranger and fired his blaster wildly at the Reptile. But as Conner experienced, the blasts bounced harmlessly off his tough exterior. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Mack, as he angrily threw himself at the creature, his rage seemingly blinding him.

"Conner…if I can hold him down, then you can hit him with a battle blast!" Mack called.

"You stupid child…you can't even put up a decent fight, let alone hold me down," Vlask laughed, as he knocked him away without effort. Mack got up and latched onto the monster again.

"Come on…what are you waiting for?!" Mack screamed.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Jason roared, as he kicked and punched his way through the vipers until he made it to Conner's side.

"Ronny said he's been distraught lately. He thinks he's expendable…you know, because he's an android," Kira mentioned, as she landed, having used her Ptera flight powers to evade a hoard of foot soldiers.

"Dammit…the last thing we need out here is a suicidal ranger," Jason cursed.

"Hayley…can you get these three out of here?" Tommy called into his communicator.

"_Teleporting in three_," she responded, as the three disappeared in streaks of their respective colors.

"Conner and Shane…let's hit this guy with a triple battle blast," Andros suggested, as his battle armor molded itself around his body. The other two red rangers nodded and took their places. Vlask growled violently, as Shane's blast slammed into him first.

"You fools…I'll kill you all!" he snarled, as a yellow energy beam combatted Shane's blowing him back, higher into the air.

"A little help Dino boy!" Shane growled.

"Battle blast!" Conner called, as he launched his own beam. It slammed into the creature and he screamed in disbelief, as he felt the raw power begin to eat away at him.

"Let's finish him off," Jason said. Andros and Tommy nodded, as Andros fired a red energy beam and Tommy a white spirit orb. Jason joined them by lending his Brachio energy orb. A huge explosion ensued, as fiery chunks of the monster peppered the ground.

* * *

The Sharkanian General angrily smacked Adam and Rocky away.

"Damn…we're getting creamed," Rocky complained.

"Lord Ooze will reward me richly when I kill you and present your helmets to him," the shark-like alien boasted.

"Well, your smell is enough to kill us, that's for sure," Rocky quipped.

"Amusing red ranger," the monster seethed, teeth barred.

"Let's power blast this freak," Adam suggested.

"I've got something better," Billy said, as he raised his communicator to his mouth.

"Hey Carls…send me those new toys we've been working on," Billy said.

"_Okay…but we haven't tested them yet," _she cautioned.

"No time like the present," he said, as five, sleek chrome weapons appeared in their hands.

"Sweet…blaster?" Adam asked, not exactly sure what the weapon did. It resembled a large blaster type weapon, but the barrel was much larger than normal.

"A cannon actually. I wanted to pack something with the power of the old power cannon into something compact and easier to get a shot off. Careful though…I haven't quite gotten all the bugs out yet," Billy warned. As he said that, Rocky fired a red cannon blast, which hit his target, but knocked him on his ass at the same time.

"Like the recoil," Billy winced. The blast, however, left the Sharkanian General smoking and growling in pain.

"Let's fry us a fish!" Aisha called, as they simultaneously fired their colored coded cannon blasts and despite throwing them back with the recoil, they hit their mark. The creature exploded and pieces of him unfortunately splattered Kim and Aisha. The three guys winced, as the two women let out a frustrated yell.

"Gross…" Aisha complained.

"Ugh…I think I'm going to be sick," Kimberly said, as she scraped shark guts off her helmet.

"Let's go see how the Dinos are faring with the bugs," Billy suggested, as they sprinted after him.

* * *

Will and Dax fired their weapons, picking off the Burmites, as the GAMA guardians joined them. But they were fair game for the Burlot General leading them, as he picked off several with ease. The blue and black Overdrive rangers charged him with their weapons, combatting him in a double team barrage of attacks. The insect creature handled it well enough and kicked the black ranger away so he could take on the blue ranger by himself first.

Dax grunted in pain, as he took several blows to the chest.

"Pitiful…you're not worthy of my time. I was hoping a ranger would put up a better fight. The Burlot general hissed, as he violently kicked Dax in the stomach before snaking his tail around the blue ranger's neck.

"You flesh creatures are so fragile, even with ranger armor," he mused, as he constricted his tail. Dax choked and gasped for air, while Will was held at bay fighting the creature's surprisingly resilient soldiers.

Suddenly, a blue blur zoomed toward the creature and it screamed in agony, as Billy severed its tail with his lance, causing yellowish blood to splatter on the ground and all over Dax.

"Get his helmet off," Billy instructed, as Aisha and Kimberly knelt beside him and pulled it off. Dax gasped in relief, taking in deep breaths of air.

"Take slow, deep breaths," Kimberly instructed.

"Ready guys?" Billy called, as Conner, Kira, and Ethan formed the Z-Rex blaster. They nodded.

"Fire!" Billy called, as he, Adam, and Rocky fired their cannons, while the three Dino rangers initiated their blast at full power. They hit their target head on, incinerating him completely. Will helped Dax up, as he cancelled his morph, before tugging him away.

"You're welcome," Aisha called.

"You know, we didn't ask for your help. I would have beaten him," Will spat back.

"No, Dax would be dead right now if we hadn't stepped in. Get off your high horse, rookie," Rocky spat.

"Forget this, let's go," Will snapped to Dax and his men, as they followed.

"I can't believe what a prick he's being," Kira scoffed.

"He just doesn't want to admit that he needs more than two rangers and some glorified military police to combat these guys," Conner said.

"Well, denial is a river in Egypt," Ethan quipped.

"And God forbid he take any cues from rangers that have been doing this a while," Billy said, as they headed off to finish off the last of the remaining foes.

* * *

Blake's thunder blade clashed with green skinned alien's in a series of furious exchanges, but Blake felt himself quickly slowing, due to the monster's brute, overwhelming strength.

"You're weak…navy ranger. I expect better from the brother of the Phoenix ranger," the alien taunted. Blake growled and channeled his navy thunder into his weapon, before thrusting it at the monster's chest. It made contact, but the elemental power only seemed to cause the monster minor discomfort. He batted the weapon away and slammed his fist into Blake's chest. The navy ranger felt the air forced out of his lungs and the alien grabbed him, landing blow after blow all over his body. Blake fell to the ground, groaning in pain, and desperately trying to catch his breath. He rolled out of the way just in time, as the alien slammed his foot down where he had just been laying. Unfortunately, the Duronian grabbed him around the neck and lifted him effortlessly off the ground, before slamming him into a wall head first. Blake heard a loud crack in his helmet and felt woozy, as his vision swam and the world seemed to be spinning. He got to his hands and knees, but the ruthless General gave him no time to recover, by viciously kicking him in the ribs. The navy ranger fell onto his back and the alien kicked him away. Blake rolled several feet and landed on his stomach. His visor slid open and he coughed violently, watching his own blood dot on the cement before him.

"Any last words for your big brother, navy ranger? He's watching, you know. General Xin has made sure he has a front row seat to your demise," the General said, as he grabbed Blake and raised him to his knees. He brought his blade to his throat, preparing to slit it once his last words were spoken.

"This isn't your fault bro, cause I know that's what you're thinking. Just beat these bastards, I know you can," Blake said, as he tried to blink back the tears in his eyes. He didn't want to die.

Suddenly, he felt the ground beneath him rumbling and jumped in surprise, as Dustin shot to the surface with a yellow earth beam aimed at the General. He batted the attack away and kicked Dustin back. This allowed Blake to scramble away from his would be killer, as he saw Cam's ice beam slam into the Duronian as well. He growled in annoyance, as he used an energy blast to violently blow the green Samurai ranger back, before striding toward Blake again with purpose.

"Stego shield!" Kat called, as she stood in front of Blake with her purple shield protecting them.

"Out of the way, little girl," he growled.

"Not a chance slime ball," Kat called back. He growled in annoyance, as the rest of the rangers blocked him from the navy ranger.

"Your friends won't save you next time, navy ranger and I imagine big brother will pay the price for this," the General hissed, as he disappeared. Blake coughed again and tried to stand up, but found himself extremely dizzy.

"Whoa there, easy dude," Shane said, as he steadied his teammate.

"I'm fine," Blake insisted.

"You're coughing up blood, that's not fine," Cam drawled, as he put Blake's other arm over his shoulder. Jason looked around wearily, noticing that, while most injuries seemed to minor, many of them were not as unscathed after this battle. And he had a feeling that this battle had just been another one of Ivan's sick games.

"Hayley, do you have a lock?" Tommy asked.

"_Teleporting in three…" _she responded, as they disappeared from the wake of the wreckage.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's spaceship**_

Hunter's head snapped to the side, as Xin struck him hard.

"Wipe that smug look off your face, crimson ranger. Your baby brother got lucky. Next time, I'll make sure no one can interfere…and then he will die," Xin spat, as he stormed out the cell. A figure emerged from the shadows once the General was gone.

"Well, well, so you're the ranger that is responsible for my ousting," Flurious said, as he appeared before the plasma bars.

"Your ousting?" Hunter asked with a board expression.

"I would have had the crown by now if not for all this…and then I would be the one in charge," Flurious replied fiercely.

"Oh, so that's my fault?" Hunter asked sarcastically.

"Well, I suppose it is Ivan Ooze's fault…but I hate power rangers more, especially ones that would potentially keep me from ever obtaining the Corona Aurora," Flurious answered. Hunter scoffed, as the villain stepped inside his cell.

"Oh I get it…you're going to come in here and teach me a lesson. It must be beat the crap of Hunter day," he joked.

"Prepare to feel my icy wrath, crimson ranger," Flurious hissed, as he wrapped a cold hand around the thunder ninja's neck…

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

The group of tired, weary, and injured rangers filled Ranger Ops, as they arrived via teleportation. Trini cancelled her morph and went for the most injured first, being Blake, while Carly nervously hovered. The navy ranger hissed in pain, as she prodded his ribs.

"Why am I so dizzy?" he asked.

"Probably a mild concussion and definitely at least two broken ribs. You may have internal bleeding as well. I need him carefully moved to the med bay," Trini instructed, as Cam and Dustin carefully walked him down the corridor, while Carly followed.

"Blake is definitely on inactive duty for a while. Dana and I can check out minor injuries once we're done with Rose and Blake. If it's just first aid stuff, then I could use some help treating that," Trini prompted.

"I have training as a paramedic. I can handle the first aid and Kelsey can help me," Carter volunteered. Trini smiled.

"Thanks guys," she replied, as they followed her down the corridor.

"I'm fine dad…I need to see Rose," Mack snapped in frustration, drawing their attention.

"You're not going anywhere until we talk, rookie," Jason snapped.

"Jase…this might not be the best time," Tommy warned.

"No time to be soft on him, Tom. He could have gotten himself and some of us killed out there," Jason said, as he approached.

"I appreciate your concern Jason, but believe me, my son and I are going to talk about his recklessness out there," Andrew said.

"Don't try that mentor tone with me, Hartford. It may work on the kiddies, but not with me," Jason snapped. By now, everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare on at the confrontation with rapt attention.

"Excuse me?" Andrew questioned.

I think it's about time you take responsibility here, especially since you're the reason he's acting this way," Jason stated, calling him out. Hartford scoffed.

"Look son, I know you think you have the right and authority to make demands, since you were the original red, but I don't like your tone," Andrew said firmly. A low whistle could be heard, as Rocky shook his head in amusement. Jason smirked.

"You know, I've excused most of the mistakes you made with your team. I let it go that four of your rangers at any given time will quit when things get rough or pout when their feelings get hurt, even when there is a monster trashing the city. I'll even forgive the fact that you gave ranger powers to a kid with stars in his eyes and one that specializes as an artifact recovery specialist, cause having a ranger that steals, even for the supposed greater good, is a brilliant idea!" Jason yelled.

"But I'm not going to let Mack put the rest of our lives in danger, because he can't keep his head on straight in battle! You gave him fake memories and lied to him!" Jason roared.

"I was just trying to get rid of the monster! What does it matter? I'm just a robot!" Mack screamed back. Jason shook his head in frustration.

"Every life has value," Jason told him, before turning back to Andrew.

"I assume you built him, because you wanted a son, so now it's time for you to be a father and teach him the value of life. Until then, Overdrive is on inactive duty," Jason said, as he stormed upstairs…

* * *

_Lots of action and drama and there's more to come in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	35. Chapter 34: Acquiescence

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 34! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life gets in the way sometimes. Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Lmv16: Yeah, Jason lost his temper a bit, but he had good reason. As for Hunter and Tori, I'm working toward that soon so stay tuned. :)

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it.

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story so much.

MMPRFansince93: Thanks! So glad you enjoyed the chapter. Yeah, Mack is in need of some serious talking when there is time. As for attacking again soon, you may be right. ;) And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Shane/Kapri. I have a nice moment in mind for them to get things rolling with them. It just keeps getting pushed back by the massive plot. I assure you once there is downtime again from battles, there will be some more nice character development chapters :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep and there's more drama to come! Glad you enjoyed it. :) Yeah, Will's being a jerk and Jason is right. More action and drama to come so enjoy. :)

fallingstar22: Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, Andrew has some lessons to learn. Yep, I really enjoyed writing the scene where Tori unloaded on those two jerks. Girl blue kicked their butts! :)

XoxMountainGirlxoX: Yeah, they were really stupid picking on not only a ranger, but a ninja, female or not. I enjoyed writing that scene a lot. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yeah, they didn't really get creamed, but they do have the power on their side. And Ivan will be pissed by their victory again. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter! :)

Harry2: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 34: Acquiescence

_**Acquiescence never made much sense 'cause we aren't backing down  
Acquiescence to your callous presence never made much sense to us**_

_**We aren't afraid of you**_  
_**We will take you down**_  
_**We're nothing like you 'cause we've got so much to lose**_

_**Song: Acquiescence**_

_**Artist: Eyeshine**_

* * *

_**The Legacy Compound**_

_**Med Bay**_

Blake hissed in pain, as Dana taped his ribs up, while Carly stood by holding his hand.

"So what's the damage Doc?" Blake asked.

"Other than the broken ribs, you have a mild concussion. Your armor absorbed a lot of the impact. You're very lucky and I think you'll only be out of the game a couple weeks at most," Dana reported.

"A couple weeks?" Blake exclaimed.

"You're lucky you're conscious, let alone not on an operating table," Carly reminded. He sighed. Dana smiled.

"She's right…keep him out of trouble," Dana told her. She smiled.

"Don't worry, this dirt monkey isn't going near a battlefield for a while," Carly promised, as she helped him off the table.

"Dirt monkey?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Just a nickname…I think it's cute," she replied. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So we're doing nicknames? Guess that means I need one for you then," Blake said.

"But until I think of the right one, I think I'll just call you my girlfriend, I mean, if that's okay with you?" he asked. She smiled.

"I'd like that a lot," she replied, as the continued on upstairs.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ronny asked nervously, as Trini slowly dabbed a solution for the burn on Rose's arm. She had sedated the young woman to spare her the pain and would administer morphine when she woke up to dull the immense pain she would experience.

"She'll be in a lot of pain, but I got to the burn early so there won't be any permanent damage. She may have light scarring, but it will hardly be noticeable. I'm going to keep her sedated tonight and then I'll have morphine ready when she does wake up. Give it a few weeks and she'll be fully healed," Trini reported, easing the young woman's fears.

"Thanks Trini, I better go tell Mack. He's freaking out," Ronny said. Trini nodded and noticed her reluctance to leave.

"She'll be fine and she'll sleep through the night. I want you to go get some rest too," Trini ordered. Ronny nodded and slowly left.

"Hey…" Jason called, as he entered.

"She's going to be okay?" he asked. Trini nodded.

"Yes, she'll be fine. Alpha, keep an eye on things down here and call me if there's any changes," Trini said, as her husband wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You're dead on your feet," he mentioned. She sighed.

"I think we all are, love. You're just better at hiding it, but I know when you're about to crash," she replied. He smiled.

"Yeah, I'm about ready to fall asleep standing up," he replied, as they came to the stairs.

"Ugh…stairs, can we be lazy and take the elevator?" he asked. She giggled.

"Sounds good to me. I think we've earned the right to be a little lazy," she replied, as they got into the elevator and took it up to the residence level of the compound.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

Hunter's teeth chattered and his lips started turning blue, as Flurious' icy hand clamped around his neck, sending an icy feeling all throughout his body. Flurious chuckled evilly and pulled his hand away, as the crimson ranger's head fell forward and his breath could be seen. He gasped for air, as his chest tightened from the spreading cold.

"Not so tough without your precious powers, are you?" Flurious hissed.

"Guess not, but I think you're forgetting something," Hunter said, through chattering teeth.

"Oh, and what's that?" Flurious asked sarcastically.

"I heal much faster than most people and fire melts ice…especially Phoenix fire," Hunter replied, as his element sent a burst of warmth through his body and slowly intensified, until his body was aglow with a crimson light. Flames licked sharply at Flurious, who recoiled in shock and pain. But he quickly recovered and plastered another smug look on his face.

"A nice little trick, but there isn't much you can do to me in those bulky chains. I heard they were designed specifically to hold one of your kind," Flurious boasted.

"Apparently they were…but I think I just got really lucky," Hunter replied.

"And why is that?" Flurious asked in a bored tone.

"Your ice made them brittle enough for me to snap them," Hunter replied, as he pulled with all his might and broke the bonds. Flurious recoiled in shock, but then advanced on the ranger, intending to land a blow to his face. But Hunter ducked and imbedded his fist in Flurious' gut, flaring his aura, and dropped the frozen villain to his knees. Droplets of water cascaded down his form rapidly, as the Phoenix fire proved to be extremely deadly to his kind. He looked at his feet and saw that they were nothing more than a puddle now. He looked up at the blonde, smirking human before him and did what most would do in his position.

"Please…you can't do this! You won't kill me…it's against your ranger code," Flurious pleaded.

"Probably, but I've always been a bit of maverick. I don't always follow the rules or color inside the lines," Hunter joked, as the being was now melted to his waist.

"Please…we both hate Ooze…we could make a deal!" Flurious cried. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I've made deals with baddies before and I got burned in the whole Choobo deal so I don't really do deals anymore," Hunter responded.

"Dammit…I can…I can tell you where your morpher is!" Flurious pleaded.

"It's probably on Ivan Ooze's bridge, right? Where else would it be?" Hunter asked, as a fireball appeared in his palm.

"Fine…I can tell you where that girl is that you were whining about earlier!" Flurious pleaded. Hunter's interest peaked and the fireball dissipated.

"I'm listening now," Hunter replied.

"You must promise not to destroy me," Flurious stated.

"You have my word…and since I'm a ranger, you can actually trust that," he replied.

"The humans, the ones led by that General Gorbin, are keeping her and your Uncle locked up in a military base outside Turtle Cove…now free me," Flurious spat. Hunter backed away and to the villain's horror, he fired a Phoenix fireball at the puddle, Flurious cried out in horror when the smoke cleared, as the puddle that was the other half of his body gone. Hunter slipped out and activated the plasma bars. He had kept his word, but he wasn't foolish enough to allow Flurious to regenerate the other half of his body.

"You little bastard…what are you doing?" Flurious hissed. Hunter fired a crimson thunder bolt at the villain, zapping him in the mouth, preventing him from opening his mouth.

"Sorry, but I can't trust that you won't double cross me and give away my escape to try and get in Ivan Ooze's good graces. Like I said, I've been down that road with Lothor and Choobo before," Hunter responded, as he slipped off into the corridor. Now came the difficult part and that was getting his morpher and escaping right under Ivan Ooze's own nose.

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Compound**_

_**Outside Turtle Cove, CA**_

"I must commend you, General. I am pleased you have captured Zedd and at least one ranger, though I was hoping for more," President Morris stated, as he spoke with Gorbin via the video comm.

"Thank you Mr. President, though the ranger I have captured is extremely important to the crimson one. Should he somehow find a way to free himself from Ivan Ooze's clutches, then I almost guarantee I can get him to do my bidding to save her life, as well as his Uncle's," Gorbin responded.

"Hmm…you may be right. In that case, I want them transferred to your base in Washington D.C. It's time I meet them both," Morris ordered.

"We will leave first thing tomorrow then," Gorbin responded, as the transmission blinked out.

"You're taking Tori to another base?" Peter questioned, having overheard the conversation.

"Eavesdropping is not something I appreciate at all, Mr. Hanson," Gorbin responded.

"You told me Tori would remain here with me," Peter protested.

"I told you what you needed to hear in order to perform your duties, but she is a prisoner of war and the President has ordered that she be transferred to another facility in the morning. Say goodbye to your little girl, Mr. Hanson. She wants nothing to do with you anyway," Gorbin said coldly, as he walked away. Peter clenched his fist and turned on his heel, heading quickly in the other direction.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Idiots," Cam grumbled, as he tapped away at his keyboard.

"Who's an idiot?" Hayley asked, as she sat down beside him. Cam sighed.

"Just the people at Blue Bay Harbor beach. Take a look," Cam said, as he showed her his surveillance footage.

"What are they doing?" Hayley asked, as she watched people lining up in the sand.

"They're having a contest to see who can pull the sword out of the sand," Cam replied, as they watched several take their turn at trying to pull the Phoenix saber from the place it had been abandoned.

"Do you think someone should go tell them that no one will be able to lift that thing?" Hayley asked. Cam shook his head.

"They won't care or believe us. Let them look like idiots," he replied, as he sat back, sighing in frustration.

"Anything on Tori?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing, not a blip. I don't know how they're managing to shield her morpher signal from us…but our computers can't get a lock. Something is interfering," Cam stated.

"Or perhaps someone," a female voice said, as Rita returned with Udonna, Leanbow, Nick and Madison in tow.

"You made it back!" Hayley exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry it took so long, but all flights are still grounded…and magic seems to draw trouble in droves," Nick explained.

"Yes, it seems that my father was able to sense whenever Udonna used her magic, so they had to drive across the country to get back to Blue Bay Harbor," Rita explained.

"The woods surrounding the Wind Ninja Academy seem to have similar properties to the woods that used to surround Rootcore. It is possible that Master Vile has some sort of spell blanketing most of the country. It may be why you can't pick up Tori's signal," Udonna ventured.

"Ninja magic has always been difficult for my father to defeat. It is the reason why the rangers were able to combat him years ago and ultimately what led him to using drastic measures such as employing the orb of doom to reverse time," Rita reasoned.

"Then it's probably why he wants Tori and Zedd's location to be a secret. If Hunter does get free from Ooze, then he's got the perfect pawns to use against him," Cam suggested.

"We believe this is the case as well," Leanbow stated.

"Mom, can your magic cancel Master Vile's spell?" Nick asked. Udonna frowned.

"If only it could, but alone my magic is not enough against a being like Master Vile. His demon form only tripled his power that he once had as a mere mutant," Udonna replied sadly.

"And he's parading around in human form running our country to boot. Convincing the people that he's corrupt might not be so hard, but convincing them that he's really the demon form of Master Vile that's possessed the President? No one, save for rangers and our allies are going to believe that," Hayley said.

"First we need to get Hunter back from Ivan Ooze…and that's a whole lot easier said than done. We even attempt to take a team up there and it's open season on all of us," Cam stated.

"But we were there…we might be the best ones to go after him," Leo spoke, as he led his team into Ranger Ops.

"Leo's right, he saved us without a thought of his own wellbeing and now it's our turn to repay the favor," Damon added.

"You guys realize the risks of going up there, don't you?" Tommy asked, as he made his presence known. Leo nodded.

"We do…but I won't be much good with a broken Quasar saber," Leo stated, as he held his broken weapon, before looking at Udonna expectantly.

"Do you think it's repairable?" he asked. She smiled.

"Now that is something that my magic can definitely do," she replied, as she waved her hand. White particles of magic swirled around Leo's weapon and after a bright flash of light; it dissipated and revealed a restored red Quasar saber. Leo grinned and stepped back with his team.

"Be careful up there, little brother," Mike called. Leo nodded.

"Go Galactic!" they called in unison.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

Hunter silently crept through the corridors of Ooze's ship, dashing into crevices each time foot soldiers or other various monsters milled about. He crept closer to the bridge and spied his morpher resting on a pedestal, protected by a sizzling purple shield. And of course, there was Ivan himself, currently screaming at his subordinates for their latest failures.

"Dammit…talk about impossible…" Hunter grumbled.

"You weak fools…they're children! I should vaporize you all!" Ivan ranted, as several of his Generals, his daughter included, cowered before him, each enduring stray bolts of purple lightning that were crackling around the angry villain.

"Forgive us Master…they are far more powerful than they appear to be and their numbers seem to keep growing," a Sharkanian pleaded. Ivan snarled and zapped him, vaporizing him instantly, causing the others to cower more.

"Father…perhaps we should just vaporize the planet from here," Toxa suggested.

"I am no coward, daughter!" he screamed.

"To do that would imply that I am frightened by Zordon's legacy…no I will see that they are personally all crushed to nothing! And Earth as a whole is far too valuable to simply destroy," Ivan responded.

"Then perhaps we should deal with the Phoenix ranger once and for all. Without him for a prolonged period, they will not last and there will soon be causalities," Xin said.

"What do you have in mind?" Ivan asked, as General Xin rose to his feet.

"Allow me to transport him back to Duronia with me," Xin suggested.

"You're thinking the fire pits?" Ooze questioned. He nodded.

"Yes my Lord, as you know, the fire pits on my home planet are among one of the most volatile places in the known universe. Killing a Phoenix is no easy task, but he is young and he will eventually succumb to the unspeakable horrors that exist there…especially if I make sure his every hope for the survival of his friends and beloved blue ranger is nonexistent," Xin responded sadistically. Ivan smirked evilly.

"I do like the way you think, General Xin. I suppose that's why you're my top General. Prepare to transport him to Duronia aboard a shuttle," Ivan ordered.

"Yes my Lord," Xin said, as he motioned to two of his Generals to follow. Hunter dashed into hiding again, as they passed by and knew he had to get off this ship, for it would only be moments now until this escape was discovered.

"Father…allow me to return to Earth with our army. Perhaps another large scale attack like we performed in Mariner Bay will further chip away at their resolve," Toxa suggested.

"All right…but I want this city leveled," Ivan stated, as he stared out the viewing window and at the blue-green jewel that was Earth.

"When you are finished…I want Angel Grove to be nothing more than a scorch mark," Ooze ordered. Toxa smirked.

"I will gather our warriors at once," she responded, as she left the bridge.

"You'll be excited to know that you and I are taking a little trip, Mr. Bradley," Xin called, as he approached the cell that contained the crimson ranger. But he was horrified to find a partially melted and silenced Flurious flailing his arms.

"You stupid fool!" Xin screamed, as he zapped his mouth, allowing him to speak again.

"Explain yourself and it better be good…" Xin snarled, as an energy ball appeared in his palm.

"He…tricked me! I was teaching him a lesson…and…" Flurious explained. But he was cut off by Xin's angry roar.

"You insolent worm! You had no business in this cell…of course he defeated and tricked you, weakling!" Xin roared.

"Please…NOOOOOOO!" Flurious screamed in agony, as Xin's energy blast engulfed him and exploded. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the being once known as Flurious.

"Put the entire ship on red alert and find him!" Xin screamed at his men, who scurried off in search of the human.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

"Owe!" Cam cried, as he put his sliced finger in his mouth to apply pressure to the wound.

"Dammit…" Cam cursed, as he dropped his wrench after twisting the bolt. Hayley rolled underneath the damaged yellow galaxy glider with her own wrench.

"Need some help?" she asked.

"Couldn't hurt," Cam replied, as he watched her expertly tighten the other side with no effort or injury.

"Show off," he teased. She smirked.

"Well, I am a rocket scientist. The hardware is my specialty," she boasted.

"I do well enough with hardware, but I am a software kind of guy," he conceded, as they rolled out from beneath the glider.

"Thanks," Cam said, as he stood up and then held his hand out to help her up.

"Anytime," she replied, as they now found themselves only a few inches apart. Hayley closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. Briefly, they parted while green eyes met brown, before Cam closed the distance again, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her passionately for several long moments, until they were rudely interrupted by the alarm.

"Oh no, not already," Cam fretted, as he took her hand and they ran back to Ops.

"It's been less than twenty-four hours," Hayley exclaimed, as he pulled it up on screen. Tommy and Jason hurried in from the gym, having heard the alert.

"Angel Grove is under attack," Cam said.

"Let's go," Jason said, as Cam put the alert out to the others.

"Be careful," Hayley pleaded.

"I will, because this…" Cam said, as he kissed her quickly.

"Is not over," he finished. She smiled.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Hayley replied, as he stepped back.

"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy called.

"Dino Thunder, Power Up!" Jason called.

"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!" Cam called, as they and the rest of their teams, minus Blake and the Overdrives, were teleported to Angel Grove.

* * *

_**Ivan Ooze's Spaceship**_

"Shit…" Hunter cursed, as the alert alarms blared to life and a hapless Tengu bird flailed his wings, as he ran onto the bridge.

"What's going on?!" Ivan demanded.

"He's escaped Master…the crimson ranger is on the loose," the Tengu bird reported nervously. Ivan screamed in rage, as purple lightning erupted violently from his fingertips. Three unfortunate Tengu birds exploded in a blanket of feathers, as they became the victims of their Master's rage.

"Find him, you fools!" Ivan yelled at his remaining subordinates, as they scurried off in search of the human. Hunter crept slowly onto the bridge, as Ivan's back was turned to him, and slowly reached his hand toward his morpher in the near distance. Ivan Ooze smirked in amusement.

"Think you can just snatch that morpher back right out from under my nose? I've been killing Ninjetti for thousands of years, fledgling, and you shall be no different, son of Zander," Ivan Ooze hissed, without turning around. Hunter made a dash from the pedestal, but Ivan's purple lightning struck him first, throwing him hard into a wall. Hunter groaned in pain and pulled himself to his feet, but was quickly slammed against the wall again, as Ooze wrapped a hand around his neck, his nails digging into Hunter's skin. He squeezed and the thunder ninja found himself gasping for air, as the evil being choked him.

"You're going to suffer, young one. While you're burning in a torturous agony in the fire pits of Duronia, I will crush your friends to dust and claim the Earth, enslaving the entire human race. I'll make sure the little blue water ninja dies ever so slowly as well…" Ivan hissed, as Hunter desperately tried to get air.

"_Hunter…let go of your restraint on your powers. The Phoenix fire will never harm you,_" a male voice said. He had heard the same voice inside the Phoenix Temple on Phaedos.

"_Let go sweetheart…your father is right…" _Dulcea spoke to him telepathically.

"Mom…" Hunter choked out, as he desperately sucked in what little air he could. Ivan chuckled.

"Crying for your Mommy?" he teased.

"That loathsome witch can't help you," Ivan spat, as he squeezed harder. Hunter did as he was instructed, giving into the roaring in his ears, as the fire swelled inside him. His eyes burned with blue fire, as he stared into Ooze's evil purple eyes. A crimson wall of fire, starting at his feet slowly erupted forth around him. Ivan roared in pain, as he withdrew his flaming arm. The injured, mangled limb dripped with ooze and he growled, as he launched another barrage of purple lightning at the crimson ranger. Hunter's fire shield battled it, as he struggled to make his way toward his morpher. The pain intensified, as Hunter reached his hand into the purple lightning, but he didn't give up and finally grasped his morpher.

"Phoenix Storm, Ranger Form!" he called the moment the morpher was in his hand and his armor molded around his body.

"You will pay!" Ivan screamed psychotically, as globs of purple ooze shot from his mouth, hitting Hunter's armor and slowly spreading into a thick, restrictive substance. Ivan chuckled, as he watched the young ranger struggle to keep moving. He flared his power, burning the ooze off, but Ivan was ready, pelting him with more. Hunter's vision was suddenly impaired, as the ooze splattered on his visor. Ivan chuckled evilly.

"I told you crimson ranger, you cannot escape me," Ivan hissed. Hunter fell to his knees and out of the corner of his eye, he saw five colored figures approaching the ship in space.

"My Lord…we have rangers approaching the ship!" a Sharkanian general called.

"Then get out there and destroy them, you fool!" Ivan screamed. Hunter used this small distraction to flare his power again, melting the ooze off, before rolling toward the view window. Putting all his enhanced strength behind his leg, he kicked the view window. A large spider crack traveled through the window until it busted, sending glass flying everywhere. He saw the Galaxy rangers fighting off Tengu warriors and he activated his wings.

"Well, I'd say it's been great, but I'd be lying," Hunter joked.

"Stop him!" Ivan roared, as Hunter activated his wings and flew into open space. The Tengu birds attempted to swarm him, but this allowed the Galaxy rangers to pick them off with their lasers with ease.

"Thanks guys," Hunter called.

"Just returning the favor," Leo called back.

"Guys…Hayley says that Angel Grove is under attack," Kendrix called.

"Let's go ," Damon called, as the six of them headed back to Earth.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

By the time the rangers arrived in Angel Grove, it was an inferno. The Duronians had gone straight for the largest skyscrapers in downtown and the explosions of those quickly spread through the area. The vipers sent terror through the citizens and left a trail of dead bodies in their wake. The eight Dino rangers took to the streets to stop the vipers, while the other two teams took to their zords. Cam employed his snow leopard's ice beam to put out the roaring flames. Shane and Dustin had the Storm Megazord and were using the water beam from Tori's zord to help.

"My God…the people…" Shane uttered, as building after building burned and crumbled.

"We've got to get these fires out!" Cam called, as he fired another ice beam. Shane nodded and fired the Dolphin aqua beam.

* * *

_**Blue Bay Harbor**_

On the way back to Earth, Hunter briefly broke off from the others to stop in Blue Bay Harbor. He drew the attention of the people at the beach that were all trying to lift the discarded weapon from the sand. Wordlessly, he ran toward the weapon and amazed them all by lifting it effortlessly and sheathing it in the scabbard. He ignored the chattering people that started to gather around him and contacted Hayley.

"Hayley, can you dispatch the Phoenix zord?" Hunter asked.

"_Welcome back Sensei Bradley, the Phoenix zord should be above you momentarily," _Hayley responded.

"Thanks Hayley, how's my little bro?" Hunter asked.

"_I'm fine, you worry wart, just get to Angel Grove," _Blake responded. Hunter nodded and soared into the sky, teleporting into the cockpit of the Phoenix zord, before setting course for Angel Grove.

* * *

_**Angel Grove**_

Meanwhile, the Ninjetti Megazord battled a skyscraper sized Sharkanian.

Sparks ensued, as the Sharkanian swiped his sword across the chest, nearly slicing off the bear zord's head.

"God dammit…I hate fish!" Rocky cursed, as he pulled the control yokes back, trying to keep them from toppling over.

"We're leaking coolant like a leaky faucet!" Adam cried.

"Shit…we need to stabilize that or we're going to overheat," Billy added, as he slid over to Adam's console and worked his magic, closing off the coolant leak and turning on the backup systems.

"Tommy…get your ass down here!" Kim cried, as the Falconzord soared by, firing missiles at the giant shark. The Sharkanian angrily swiped his claws at Tommy, catching the left wing and sending him into a spiral, crashing him into a building.

"TOMMY!" Kim cried in horror.

"I'm fine…but the Falconzord isn't…" Tommy responded into the comm, as he unstrapped from his seat.

"Carly…teleport the Falconzord back to the zord bay, it's in no shape for battle anymore," Billy called.

"_Teleporting now," _Carly responded. Tommy hopped over the wreckage and immediately had to dodge the Sharkanian's foot, as it came stomping down on him. The monster made another devastating slash at the Ninjetti Megazord and this time, it went down.

"Dammit…shield are down to forty percent," Aisha cried, as they tried to get the Megazord to its feet again.

"Say goodbye rangers…" the Sharkanian growled, as he prepared to bring his weapon down on them in what would be a devastating blow.

"Brace for impact!" Billy cried, until they heard a very welcome voice call out a command.

"Phoenix Fire Blast!" Hunter called, as the Phoenix zord emitted a fiery beam from the mouth, hitting the Sharkanian head on. The creature couldn't handle the attack and exploded into nothing more than ashes.

"Nice to have you back, fire boy!" Kimberly called.

"Nice to finally be back," Hunter replied, as he flapped the wings of his zord, sending flailed of energy to help smother the flames. Thanks to their efforts, the flames were calmed enough and allowed the Angel Grove Fire Department to take over.

"All right dude…you're back!" Dustin called.

"Great to have you back…but we still can't find Tor or your Uncle," Shane mentioned, as they disembarked from their zords.

"That's okay…I tricked Flurious into telling me where Gorbin is holding them. Let's go help the Dinos," Hunter said, as they hurried off to the park…


	36. Chapter 35: Neutron Star Collision

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. They belong to Saban Brands. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 35! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life has been very busy lately. Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Harry2: Yep, thing may be turning around. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Alex B. Goode: Yep, Hunter is back! So glad you're enjoying the story. :)

RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yeah, Hunter is back and it's a race against time to get to Tori, plus all the problems in Angel Grove. Glad you're liking the story so much. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. :)

WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story so much. Enjoy this chapter, because it's exciting as well. :)

fallingstar22: Thanks, glad you like all the couple stuff. More of that to come. And Hunter is back, but the question whether he'll get to Tori in time is finally answered in this chapter. Enjoy. :)

Lmv16: Yep, Hunter is free. Time to reunite him and Tori. Glad you like the Cam/Hayley stuff. It is cute. ;)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Chaos-Vittra: Thanks, glad you're enjoying. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 35: Neutron Star Collision

_I was searching  
You were on a mission  
Then our hearts combined like  
A neutron star collision_

_I have nothing left to lose_  
_You took your time to choose_  
_Then we told each other_  
_With no trace of fear that..._

_Our love would be forever_  
_And if we die_  
_We die together_  
_And lie, I said never_  
_'Cause our love would be forever_

_**Song: Neutron Star Collision**_

_**Artist: Muse**_

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Base**_

_**On the outskirts of Turtle Cove, CA**_

"Gentlemen…please join me," Gorbin called, as Will and Dax arrived back.

"Why did you recall us? Angel Grove is still under attack," Dax asked.

"You will rejoin the fight momentarily. I just brought you back to inform you a significant addition to your arsenal, thanks to Mr. Hanson," Gorbin responded, as they unveiled eight humanoid forms each wearing what could have looked like Ranger armor and helmets, except there was no color to signify the difference between them. Each was simply a sleek silver color with a noticeable blinking device on the chests.

"What are they?" Will asked.

"Cyborgs…they will aide you immensely on the battlefield. They are controlled from this base and they are extremely strong and versatile," Gorbin explained.

"No offense General, but I don't need a bunch of robots in my operation," Will argued.

"And I say you do, Mr. Aston. Part of your compensation requires you to allow me to make the final decisions with battle strategy. Now go…unless you'd like me to find someone else to lead our forces," Gorbin ordered. Will glared at him, but held his tongue.

"Let's go!" he called to the men, as he and Dax led the GAMA guardians and the new cyborg soldiers.

* * *

_**Angel Grove Park**_

As they arrived in the park to the site of absolute terror, the rangers present rushed the attackers, pulling the poisonous minions off their victims. Truly they had never seen anything like this and many had to swallow the bile in their throats. Not only had the vipers killed the unfortunate people with their bite, the disgusting creatures didn't stop there and had proceeded to prey on the bodies of their victims.

"Oh my God…" Kat uttered, as the victim she pried one viper off was just a little boy. She sunk to her knees, even as the creature she had smacked away squealed in anger, before charging her. It abruptly exploded in a spray of dark blue blood, thanks to a blue blast from Billy's Ninjetti cannon. He gently pulled the violet ranger to her feet and steadied her.

"He's Aiden's age…" she whispered.

"I know Kat, but that's why we can't stop. We have to kill these little bastards before they kill any more people," he reasoned. She took a deep, staggering breath beneath her helmet and nodded.

"Let's make them pay," Billy suggested, as they charged the minions.

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Base**_

Tori sighed and ran a hand through her slightly damp hair. A hot shower and clean clothes were only a small consolation, as she stared out the one single window that her room had, almost like it was there to tease her about what she couldn't have. She barely heard the door open and was startled when her father called her name.

"Tori…" he said for a second time, as she jumped.

"Sorry to scare you, but I brought you breakfast. I got this from the officer's mess so it's much more edible than that crap they fed you in the cell," he told her. It smelled really good and as much as she wanted to protest, she felt week from lack of nutrition and found herself giving in. She started to eat hungrily and he was silent until she started to slow. As she finished, he slipped a key card to her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"A key card that belongs to one of the assholes you beat the crap out of last night. It deactivates the force field and will allow you to escape this room. The rest will be up to you and since the card belongs to one of those idiots, your escape won't be traced back to me," Peter explained.

"But…dad, why don't you just come with me?" she asked.

"I can't…there are things here I just can't leave right now," he replied vaguely.

"What things?" she pressed.

"I can't tell you that now, but just know that I do love you and I hope this proves it," he replied, as he kissed her forehead, before leaving quickly. Tori sat there, stunned for several moments, unsure of what to make of it all. But she quickly snapped out of it and used the key card to deactivate the plasma shield, allowing her to escape the room. She knew it wouldn't be long before her escape was discovered and she had find Zedd fast…

* * *

_**Angel Grove Park**_

As Hunter and the others arrived in the park, he started by pulling a viper off another unfortunate victim, a young teen this time, and he saw red. The roaring in his ears became overwhelming, especially as he heard one of the cobra-headed Generals laughing as his foot soldiers ravaged human flesh. He drew his sword from the scabbard on his back and disappeared into a crimson streak. He sliced his way through the vipers and hit the General head on with a flying kick. Taken aback by the force of the blow, the alien struggled to his feet and faced the fire ranger.

"So…you're the crimson one that my Master is so eager to see disposed of," he hissed in a low, raspy voice.

"And you're like something out of a bad horror movie," Hunter retorted. The creature laughed.

"Cute ranger…I'll have you know that I belong to a race of great warriors that hail from the planet Xalkush. We have conquered worlds far greater than this one and fed on the flesh of beings far stronger than these pitiful humans," he hissed, as he gestured to the sea of victims around him.

"Look at the terror on their faces, crimson ranger! And I shall now invoke that same terror on you!" he screamed, as he charged. Hunter charged as well, saber gleaming, and made several clean swipes, before flipping over the creature's head and landing behind him. The Kush General stood stalk still for a long moment, as horror slowly crossed his features, before he collapsed into four pieces. His arms and lower half of his body had been completely severed from his head and torso. Hunter turned and his visor open.

"Guess you're the one that's terrified now," Hunter responded, as he channeled his element and fired a sphere of fire. The fallen General barely had time to scream, as what remained of him exploded in a fiery end.

"Nice…guess you put him in his place," Tommy complimented.

"Uh hey guys, who do you suppose they are?" Dustin asked, as he pointed to the ranger-like warriors that were fighting Tengus and Ooze men nearby with Will and Dax.

"From the device on their chest, I'd definitely conclude that it's linked to some kind of circuitry," Billy stated. Tommy brought his communicator to his mouth.

"Hey Carter…didn't Lightspeed try to the whole robot ranger thing?" Tommy asked.

"_Yeah, I see them and yes they did. It failed miserably too," _Carter chimed back.

"I don't know, they look like they're doing a pretty great job," Ethan mentioned.

"_For now, until something fries their circuitry or Gorbin turns them on the people that oppose him,_" Carter added through Tommy's communicator.

"Carter's right, but for at least it looks like we've put them on the run," Jason said, as they saw the minions that had not been defeated pull back.

"But the damage is done…look at this place…" Kim said, as the park was littered with unmoving bodies.

"We should gather the people and then check their IDs so we can deliver the news to their families," Adam suggested.

"That won't be necessary, because GAMA will handle this," Will stated.

"You and GAMA can take a flying leap. This is Angel Grove and it's home to a lot of us. I'll be damned if I let Gorbin's lackeys come in here and take over," Rocky spat, as he got in Will's face.

"It's not your call. My cyborg soldiers have their ion blasters trained on all of you and they're even powerful enough to contain flame boy, so leave or you'll force my hand," Will said smugly. Aisha tugged Rocky's arm, gently pulling him back.

"We can't just let them take over like this," Conner argued.

"_Easy Conner, Mr. Collins and Mr. Mercer have an idea on how to do damage control with the people," _Hayley called from the communicators.

"Okay Hayley, let's go guys," Tommy ordered.

"You guys go back…I have something else to do," Hunter said.

"Dude…we're sorry, but we don't even know where she is," Shane apologized.

"But I do. I managed to trick Flurious into telling me," Hunter replied, as he raised his communicator to his mouth.

"Carly, do you think you can send my bike?" Hunter asked

"_Sure thing," _she responded.

"Thanks, I'll catch you guys later," Hunter said, as his bike appeared. He hopped on and sped off at top speed.

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Base**_

The officer chuckled, as he glanced at his partner.

"Man Brice…your nose is a nasty shade of blue," he poked fun. The other man glared at him, as he gingerly touched the bandage on his broken nose.

"Shut up Gary, she caught me by surprise. I'm going to teach that little bitch a lesson," he spat.

"Gorbin said to bring her unharmed," Gary warned.

"Well, it won't be my fault if the poor thing accidentally gets slammed into a couple walls along the way," he said with a smug smirk, as he opened the door to her room. They walked in and looked around, finding it empty.

"All right, come out now," Gary called. There was silence and no one to be seen.

"Come on bitch, get out here and let's have a rematch," Brice snapped. There was still nothing and the two officers began searching all the rooms in the small quarters. They rejoined each other in near the door.

"She's gone," Gary said, as his phone chimed.

"Yes General," he answered.

"_Where are you? You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago with her," _Gorbin snapped.

"Yes Sir…unfortunately we can't find her," Gary stammered.

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HER?_" Gorbin roared, causing the officer to pull his phone away from his ear.

"She's gone Sir," he stated.

"_THEN FIND HER MORON!_" Gorbin screamed, as he hung up. A few seconds later, the entire base was put on alert.

* * *

Hunter sped past the Turtle Cove exit sign and toward the Military base in the near distance. He put the brakes on and screeched to a stop, before hopping off. He cancelled his morph and his armor shattered, leaving him in ninja form. He streaked toward the gates and neither of guards knew what hit them, as he knocked the two guards out and slipped unknowing into a supply crate, which was then lugged inside the loading dock. Once the coast was clear, he climbed out of the crate and made his way into the corridors, dodging into hiding when necessary.

* * *

_**Ranger Ops**_

As the others arrived back at Ranger Ops, they demorphed and met with Mr. Collins and Anton Mercer.

"So, you said you had an idea?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, we thought that we could have a few of you record a message for the people to see simply saying that you didn't abandon them in Angel Grove," Anton stated.

"You can at least get it out there that Gorbin's forces threatened you with bodily harm if you tried to interfere and you could relay a message of good will," Aaron Collins added.

"But how are we going to get a message on the air? The networks will be ordered to shut it down before we can even get two words out," Trent said.

"Not if I hack in, play our message in its entirety, and block them from taking control back until our message is out there," Billy said.

"And we can put it on the internet. It will get taken down, but not before plenty of people see it," Cam added.

"And we could run a script that works like a virus. Once the video is removed, it jumps to another random news site and so on," Carly chimed in.

"Whoa…it's like being in a room with a bunch of evil geniuses," Conner joked.

"Sounds like it could work, but who should record the message?" Adam asked.

"Well, Blake is fairly well known, thanks to his former career and so are you, beautiful," Tommy suggested.

"Me?" Kim asked.

"I agree, you're perfect. A LOT of people still remember you from the Olympics," Aisha added.

"Jock boy had quite a following too in college," Kira added.

"Everyone knows Tanya and probably most own her and Kira's albums," Adam suggested.

"That should do it," Anton said, as he motioned to Cam, who turned his camera on.

"Okay…ranger star power, take one," he said, as he focused on the five that were going to deliver their message.

* * *

_**Gorbin's Military Base**_

The compound's red alert lights blinked throughout the corridors and Tori peeked slowly around the corner. She quickly ducked back, seeing that officers were combing the hallways, looking for her no doubt. She tiptoed back the way she came, hoping to find another way and scrunched herself against the wall, as several walked by the mouth of the corridor. She closed her eyes and hoped they continued on and didn't come this way. She sighed in relief as they continued on, but didn't notice the door to a room slide open behind her. Her eyes widened in terror, as a hand went over her mouth and pulled her inside.

* * *

Zedd and Alan Cranston, both with hands in cuffs, were marched into the ship bay where Gorbin waited.

"Mind telling us what's going on?" Zedd demanded to know.

"You and Doctor Cranston are being flown to the base in Washington D.C.," Gorbin responded.

"And Tori?" he asked and smirked when Gorbin remained silent.

"I thought those alert lights might be for her," Zedd replied smugly.

"She will be found," he snapped.

"As I was saying, the President has requested you be moved so he may have an audience with you," Gorbin continued.

"Oh goody, I can't wait to see dear old dad-in-law again," Zedd replied sarcastically.

"Still believing that ludicrous theory that Master Vile has body snatched our President?" Gorbin asked in amusement.

"Still believing you're really in control?" Zedd countered, as he watched two officers put his staff in a metal case, before locking it up and taking it out to load on the plane. With Master Vile in his demon form, access to his staff would allow him to channel his sorcery in an even more direct manner. It was then that he noticed the metallic humanoid soldiers that stood stalk still and glanced at Alan.

"Robot rangers?" Zedd asked in confusion.

"Gorbin's version of the cyborg rangers that Lightspeed tried to commission years ago. He bought the basic design from the same little weasel that built the first generation and turned the design over to Peter," Alan explained.

"While Peter's are far superior, the cyborg rangers were a complete disaster and I doubt these will be any different. I've tried to convince Peter that there is a reason that people don those ranger suits, exceptional people, but people nonetheless," Alan continued.

"Because people won't make mechanical decisions out on the battlefield. A cyborg will destroy the enemy, regardless if innocent people get in the way. A real ranger puts the innocents first, even putting themselves between the enemy and the people they protect. You really think cyborg rangers are the answer?" Zedd questioned, knowing Gorbin was overhearing their conversation.

"Like Doctor Cranston said, these are far superior to the first generation of failures and their first performance proved their necessity. They destroyed minions with minor difficulty, allowing people to escape to safety. Their weapons are also equipped to take on the less superior Generals as well," Gorbin responded.

"And if their circuitry goes haywire or they simply disregard innocent people that may get in the way?" Zedd questioned.

"Mr. Hanson has assured me that the circuitry on these cyborgs is superior and as for innocent people, I'm sure the human rangers will see they are protected. Destroying the enemies is what is important," Gorbin argued. Zedd snorted derisively.

"You mean your definition of enemies, like the other rangers too. If I know Vile I'm sure that's part of his ultimate plan," Zedd retorted.

"Subjectively, our enemies are anyone that chooses not to operate with us, for contrary to what you believe, we do have the best interest of the people in mind," Gorbin argued.

"Spoken like a true dictator. Believe, I would know," Zedd spat in return, as Gorbin turned away and they were slowly marched toward the tarmac where a private jet awaited.

"_Come on Hunter…any time now," _Zedd thought to himself, having sensed his nephew nearby.

* * *

Tori's instincts took over and she elbowed her attacker in the gut several times and tried to wrench herself away from him. However, she found him to be insanely strong and his vice-like grip did not loosen at all.

"Owe…Tori it's me…" the voice said in a loud whisper. She froze immediately and whipped around, as he loosened his hold. A tear slipped down her cheek, as she recognized the tall silhouette of the man she loved.

"Hunter…" she uttered in the barest whisper.

"Damn babe…good thing I'm like super strong now or you would have just kicked my ass," he joked, as she threw her arms around him. He hugged her tightly and then pulled back so he could kiss her.

"I've missed you so much, I was so worried about you," Tori whispered, as she buried her face in the nape of his neck.

"Do you know where they're holding my Uncle?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, but our best bet is probably the landing bay. Gorbin was ordered to transfer us all to his base in D.C., by orders of the President himself. That's how I got free," she explained.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"My dad…he made sure I got free without it being traced back to him. I don't think he has any interest in losing his coveted job over me, but I guess freeing me says something," she said sadly. He hugged her tightly and dropped a kiss on her head.

"I'm sorry," he replied. She shook her head.

"You're my family, you and the others. Let's go get your Uncle so we can go home," she said. He nodded and they slowly crept into the corridor. Just as they stepped through a doorway, they heard a voice shout out to them.

"There she is! Freeze!" one officer called. Hunter pressed the door panel and a metal door slid closed. With his crimson thunder, he fried the panel.

"That won't hold them for long," he said. She nodded, as they disappeared into a crimson and aqua blur, until they arrived in on the tarmac outside the ship bay.

"There they are…stop them!" Gorbin called, as the two ninjas easily fought their way through multiple officers.

"Stop them now!" Gorbin yelled at Will and Dax, who charged.

Dax grabbed Tori's arm, but she easily wrenched away, throwing a roundhouse kick, which he evaded.

"Come on Tori, I don't want to hurt you," Dax said, he dodged all her blows…except the torrent of water she unleashed upon him, throwing him and drenching him.

"Was that necessary?" Dax complained, as he stood sopping wet.

"Consider yourself lucky. The last guy that underestimated me got a broken nose out of it," Tori retorted.

* * *

Two cyborg rangers fired their blasters at Hunter and he dodged all but a few, which hit, slowing him down slightly, but healing quickly as well. He blocked the first one's punch with a rising block and kicked it away, before facing the other. He exchanged blows with the incredibly strong cyborg. Hunter saw an opening and yanked the device from the cyborg's chest. It stopped abruptly and collapsed, as he continued to fight his way to his Uncle.

Zedd noticed his captor's distraction and stomped on the officer's foot, before running toward the case that contained his staff. He started trying to jimmy the case open when he heard a gun cock behind him.

"Put your hands up," Gorbin ordered. Slowly Zedd obeyed, but Hunter's blade cut the gun in half, as he stepped between Gorbin and his Uncle. He swiped his blade through the lock and Zedd retrieved his staff, the dragon dagger, and Tori's morpher.

"Tor, catch!" Hunter called, as he tossed her morpher into the air. She flipped away from her attackers and caught it, quickly strapping it to her wrist.

"Move no further, I have snipers trained on your positions with ion blasters right now," Gorbin threatened.

"Do your worst," Hunter spat, as he nodded to her.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!"

"Phoenix Storm, Ranger Form!"

An ion blast was heading straight for Tori, but a stream of silver lightning intercepted the purple blast, nullifying it. Zedd then zapped the cuffs on his wrists and Alan's, freeing them.

"Hey Cam, you got a lock on us?" Hunter asked, into his communicator.

"_Hang on…there's a lot of interference," _came Cam's reply.

"It's always interference with you," Hunter teased.

"_Well excuse me, we're not all the great and mighty Phoenix,"_ Cam replied with his usual snarky tone. Hunter gathered with Tori, Zedd, and Alan Cranston. Using his saber, he created a barrier of fire to keep Gorbin's army back. In four streaks of light, the four of them were finally swept away.

* * *

**_Angel Grove_**

There was chaos in the newsroom at Channel 4, a local news station in Angel Grove. The city had been devastated and as abruptly as they were there to fight the monsters, the rangers were gone, leaving them behind. There were reporters on the scene in the park and downtown and they were very busy shooting segments they would later plaster all over their live broadcast. Suddenly, one by one, all the screens in the newsroom went black and white letters appeared.

_A Message from the Power Rangers_

"Hey…where is that coming from?" the newsroom chief exclaimed.

"We're not sure, Sir," an intern chimed back.

"It's broadcasting live!" a reporter exclaimed.

"Shut it off!" the chief ordered.

"We're trying Sir, but someone has hacked us and has overridden our entire system," another reporter said in disbelief. The entire newsroom, as well as Angel Grove, and the country could only watch, as five rangers appeared on the screen. The news stations would later identify them as former motocross champion, Blake Bradley, Olympic Silver Medalist and Gymnastics trainer, Kimberly Hart, Grammy winning artist and record producer, Tanya Sloan, Rock music's latest sensation, Kira Ford, and former Soccer superstar, Conner McKnight.

"_This message is for the people, specifically those that have been devastated in Angel Grove," Kimberly began. _

"_We recently drove Ivan Ooze's forces back and had every intention of remaining in the city to assist with clean up, triage, and to help families with the deceased," Conner added._

"_But GAMA forced us to leave or we risked being captured ourselves," Blake continued. _

"_And with us in prison, there would be no one to stop Ivan Ooze's invading forces," Kira added._

"_GAMA will have you believe that they can protect you all from Ivan Ooze, but without the power of true rangers, they will fall short. We ask that you, the people, take the power back into your hands by telling GAMA that you won't be controlled anymore," Tanya said boldly. _

"_They will threaten you and tell you lies about us, but you all know that the rangers have always protected the earth and will continue regardless of how many times they try to stop us," Kimberly said. _

"_The rangers will be there when you need us," Blake continued. _

"_We have not abandoned you, no matter what GAMA tells you," Kira assured. _

"_And we will fight Ivan Ooze and his entire army until every last one of them is defeated and the earth is safe," Conner assured passionately. _

"_The Power Rangers will always defend what is right and true, even in dark times where there seems to be no hope. But we will fight for this planet to the last breath if we have to,"_ Tanya concluded, as the screen went dark again. The newsroom was silent for several moments, as most were unsure what to do. One thing was certain though: the President would not be pleased.

* * *

**_Ranger Ops_**

For the first time in days, there were cheers in Ranger Ops, as they arrived back safely. Tori and Hunter were nearly knocked down by Shane, Dustin, Blake, Kapri, and Marah, while Sensei looked on with a pleased and relieved expression. They exchanged hugs with their closest friends and Tori hugged all the female rangers that were lining up to greet her return.

"Uncle Alan!" Carly called, as she dove into his arms. Alan hugged her tightly and his eyes misted, as he looked at her and his grown son, whom he hugged next.

"It's so good to see you William…I'm so sorry about Cestria," Alan told him. Billy nodded.

"Thanks…but you have a granddaughter to meet and if you think Carls here had you wrapped around her pinky, then you're in real trouble when it comes to Trina," Billy teased, as he gave his cousin a half hug.

"I can't wait. I've been deprived of a grandchild to spoil for too long," Alan replied.

"I think we could all use a break," Blake agreed.

"Yeah, I'm starved…you have no idea what they tried to feed me on that ship," Hunter complained, holding his stomach.

"I'm sure if it was anything like the gruel they tried to feed us, then it was inedible for sure," Zedd replied. Cole smiled.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Alyssa and some of the others, including Alpha knew everyone would be hungry so they've been cooking away for a while now," he announced.

"Music to my ears…and stomach," Rocky said excitedly, as they all started making their way upstairs for a much needed meal and rest.

* * *

**_Gorbin's Military Base_**

"_They escaped!" _President Miller exclaimed. Gorbin was positively boiling mad inside as well.

"Yes Sir, somehow the crimson ranger escaped Ivan Ooze's clutches," Gorbin said regrettably.

"_Then I have no choice since you can't seem to lock up a bunch of kids like I asked you to. Prepare for my arrival at your base tomorrow," _the President responded.

"Yes Mr. President," Gorbin responded, as the screen went dark. He turned to his officers, including Will and Dax.

"Your performance thus far, gentlemen, has been disappointing and unfortunately for you, the President will not be as forgiving as I am," Gorbin said.

"What the hell do you expect? For every weapon we get, the crimson ranger whips out some new power or one of their tech experts creates something that blows what we have out of the water," Will spat angrily.

"Mr. Hanson, what explanation do you have?" Gorbin asked.

"I have created weapons from the best technology known to man…but I don't have access to the morphing grid. It is something that we don't understand, nor have access to anything like it," Peter replied.

"It sounds like a lot of excuses, Mr. Hanson," Gorbin retorted.

"Sir, I can build you weapons to equal the powers of the ones they have, but the Phoenix ranger is an exception. I simply can't replicate his remarkable power, because it's genetic," Peter explained.

"Perhaps…or maybe you've double crossed me and will continue to sabotage our operation," Gorbin accused.

"Sir, I am completely loyal to GAMA, you know that," Peter stressed.

"Yet your daughter somehow escaped and yet you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?" Gorbin questioned. Peter shrugged.

"I have ten people on my team that can vouch for my whereabouts around the time she escaped. My last visit to her was the night before and the shield was completely secure," Peter lied.

"So it seems, but I suggest you work harder. The President will expect more from us and we must deliver or we will be replaced…all of us," Gorbin spat, looking in particular at Will and Dax.

"Dismissed," he ordered.

* * *

**_The Legacy Compound_**

"And that's pretty much how it happened," Hunter finished telling the story of how he escaped.

"Man, I would have loved to see the look on Flurious' stupid face when you melted him," Mack cheered, in better spirits than they had seen in days. Though he and his dad still had a lot to iron out, they were glad to see him doing something other than moping around and they suspected it had something to do with the woman next to him. The fact that Rose and Mack were holding hands had escaped no one's attention. Still, Tommy and Jason planned to sit down with the newest red and make sure he understood that he was not expendable.

"Yeah, he was definitely not expecting me to be able to escape and it's probably a good thing I did, because I overheard Xinshing saying he was going to take me back to Duronia with him," Hunter mentioned. This immediately perked Zedd's interest.

"Why?" he asked urgently.

"Um…something about throwing me into the fire pits or something. It sounded pretty nasty," Hunter replied, with a shrug.

"The fire pits?" Conner asked.

"The fire pits of Duronia are quite possibly the most hellish place in the known galaxy. It is a place they put their worst criminals or extraordinary people like rangers to contain and kill them. For Ivan Ooze to even suggest such a place means that you're worrying him," Zedd explained.

"So it's like worse than the abyss of evil, huh?" Dustin asked.

"The abyss of evil is a jolly picnic compared to the fire pits on Duronia. Even in my days where I was filled with evil and hate…I would have never considered sending one of my enemies there. There was a time I hated my brother and a time where I was continually defeated by rangers and even then, I would have never sent any of you there," Zedd replied, trying to stress to them the horror of this place.

"So that's bad…cause you hated rainbow ranger here with a passion back in the day," Jason mentioned. Tommy sighed, but didn't ask him not to refer to him as that. Tori shivered at the thought of Hunter being a place like that.

"Okay…I think we get it. Let's change the subject," she replied. He squeezed her hand in reassurance and she leaned against his arm.

"Yeah, good call, let's clean up the dishes," Kimberly added, as they went to work.

* * *

Later that evening, after most had retired, Shane convened with a few of the others in the rec room.

"Not going to show off any of those moves tonight, skater boy?" Kapri asked, as she plopped down next to him.

"I'm way too worked for the simulator tonight," Shane replied.

"Yeah I know, the battles keep getting rougher. Marah and I wish we could help more," she said.

"You'd only get hurt and that's the last thing I would want. Not to mention that Dustin would flip shit if Marah was out in that mess," he replied with a chuckle. She giggled.

"Yeah…he really loves my sis," she said, a twinge of wistfulness in her voice.

"Hey…what's wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing…I think I'm going to go for a walk on the beach," she replied.

"Want some company?" he asked. She stopped and looked back at him.

"You want to come?" she asked. He shrugged. He didn't want to be alone. As happy as he was for all his friends, he was tired of spending his nights pining for Skyla. She was gone and she was never coming back.

"If you want to be alone…I understand," he admitted.

"No…I don't want to be alone," she replied. He smiled.

"Then let's go. If I keep it up with this loner stuff, the guys are going to bag on me for being a brooder and that's totally Hunter's thing," Shane joked. Kapri smiled and he instantly noticed how beautiful she was when she smiled.

"I know what you mean. I'd be lying if I said I was jealous of Marah and Tori. Marah was always the one getting all the boys, because she's the bubbly one and I'm the one that always had to look out for her," Kapri admitted.

"You're a good sister and you're just as beautiful," he reminded, earning a blush from her, as they headed outside.

* * *

The night sky was blanketed by more stars than could have ever been visible near any city and made an appropriate backdrop for the two reunited lovers. The night air was chilly, but his exceptional body heat was keeping them both warm. Their bodies were pressed tightly together. He kissed her sensually and she shivered in delight, as his strong hands caressed all over.

"I missed you so much," he rasped, as he lost himself in her sweet taste.

"Me too…I was worried about what they were going to do to you. What you must have endured…" she trailed off, as he silenced her with his lips.

"It doesn't matter, we're together again and nothing is going to tear us apart," he promised. She stared up into his blue eyes and melted into his arms, as he captured her lips again and he swept her into his arms, carrying her back inside their room to bed…


End file.
